Mark Williams

Bio:

First: our songs are available on iTunes, Rhapsody, MusicNet or go to www.cdbaby.com/CD/MarkWilliams ................................................................................. Here are some of the people I’ve had the pleasure of opening for recently: ARLO GUTHRIE and the GUTHRIE FAMILY at the Southern Exposure Festival, PIERCE PETIS, STEVE FORBERT (who has been a songwriting hero of mine for ages - even before his top 10 hit "Romeo’s Tune" was released) . KELLY JOE PHELPS who was Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s "Artist of the Decade". WILLY PORTER who the Boston Globe said is "an acoustic picker with the Olympian speed of Leo Kottke bolstered by rootsy vocals and twisting, offbeat lyrics that evoke John Hiatt..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is what some people are saying about me: "It was a warm April night at the Waterfront, and Mark Williams was on stage...and he was in top form. And though most in the room were unfamiliar with Williams and his music, it took just a few songs for him to have everyone’s attention." from MUSIC ON THE MENU, by Alan K. Stout Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. --------------" 'Ghosts of Eden' is tremendous", Dave Stewart, Music Director 102.3 FM The Mountain........."(Williams') eclectic adult alternative sound has haunting melodies and poetic lyrics", Tamara McClaran, The Florida Times-Union ........................................................................................................................................ Here are some reviews of the CD "GHOSTS OF EDEN": author: Larry Knight "’GHOSTS’ IS EXTREMELY HAUNTING" “...‘Ghosts’ has the allure of an old record while maintaining a freshness that only seems to grow better with each listen. The vibrancy of each track, along with its flawless chronology makes this album one for the ages. The last track, ‘Snow Falling’ is perhaps a fitting end to the album, giving the project a stark realism that is accented by the piercing otherworldly shrieks of Linda Minke’s cello and Pillmore and Williams’ guitars. In addition, the vocals give the track a meditative quality that is very reminiscent of Alice Coltrane or The Moody Blues at the height of their careers. It is a resolution piece; a very beautiful, euphonic closing to a story that seems to drift off into vastness of space rather than fade into ... nothingness...” REVIEW FROM FOLIOWEEKLY (December 14, 2004) northeast florida’s news and opinion magazine by J. Citrone: It’s obvious, even upon first listen, that Jacksonville songwriter MARK WILLIAMS’ work is too broad for easy catergorization. A blend of Americana and Southwestern flavor, Williams’ music is more suited for film soundtracks than afternoon drive-time listening. At times gritty, at others sweetly melodic, Williams’ release "Ghosts of Eden" is a collection of random tunes augmented with a piece written specifically for local spoken-word artist Al Letson’s one-man play "Essential Personnel." "Witch Hunts" indicts society’s bigots (dating back to McCarthyism) with a solid slow-locomotive groove, "South of Savannah" counters with Seals & Crofts softness, a lilting chromatic ballad that ranks among the records best - thanks in no small part to guest vocalist Michelle Barry. Another standout is "Horses Cross the Line," a Neil Young-ish rocker driven by wah-wah guitars. And "Cuban Dreams," written for Letson, is a simple yet impressive instrumental with an obsorbing minor-key melody. Williams’ music never strays far from the point - which seems to be the point - offering tightly crafted backdrops for the engaging stories he tells.

Member Since:

February 15, 2008

Members:

The band Blue Horse actually consists of a bunch of wandering nomads who drift in and out of the band. When playing in Florida the current band as of January 2010 is Noel Millan on drums and percussion, Roy Peak on bass, (the talented father figure to a generation of Jacksonville musicians, Landon Walker often played bass with us but has recently moved to NC and the great Andy King is now concentrating on other endeavors). Our cellist is the wonderful Linda Minke. We've had the wonderful cellist Tahirah Whittington sit in with us when she's in town. We also have Victor Huls playing cello and mandolin with us. Our newest full time member is Chris Casey. Chris plays guitar and keyboard. When Bill Pillmore is in town from Asheville he plays guitar and lap steel. When Lucas Pappas is in town from Nashville he’s on guitar. The band up north consists of Rick Wagner on bass (Rick and I have played together since we were teenagers. We played together when we were living in PA and then in NY.) Brando Wisnosky on drums and the ever wild and crazy Johnny Certain on guitar. Blue Horse tends to be very electric up north and more acoustic in the south, but we can rock or be jazzy in either configuration and no matter which band is playing we are always improvisational. We get bored if we do one thing too often. We can jam with a jazz or latin feel, mingle in some classical or eclectic sounds, or just drive hard with a blues or rock edge. Most of the musicians over 30 years old have interesting bios from playing in influential bands such as Cowboy or the dbs, or have played in well known symphonies or have been up for a Grammy award. They bring skill and heart to the band. And those musicians in the band that are under 30 seem to be all about the music as well, bringing their own energy and creativity to the show. And it’s always a joy for me to play with them all.

Influences:

Santana, Dali, Neil Young, Superman, the Can-can, Batman, The Beatles, Beethoven, Buffalo Springfield, Little Joe and Hoss, Mr. Leonard Cohen, Mr. Miles Davis, The Boss, The Lone Ranger, Abe Lincoln, U2, B.B. King, Martin Luther King, and a little bit of Sting, Harriet Tubman, The NY Giants, the breaker boys from the coal mines of PA, Bob Dylan, Steve Forbert, Robin Williams, Lucinda Williams, Clarence Williams III, John Irving, John Prine, John Lennon, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Daniel Nevins, Bill Pillmore, Jimi, Janis, and Jim...

Sounds Like:

On most days we sound like Mark Williams and Blue Horse.

Record Label:

Roadworm