First Night Northampton 2019

At the crossroads of blues and American roots music you’ll find Brooks Williams. The ultimate triple threat, he is at the top of his game as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. Born in Statesboro, Georgia, the town made famous by the classic Statesboro Blues, Williams did his apprenticeship in the small bars and coffeehouses of New York and New England. With each year and each subsequent album his tours took him further and further afield. The result is an unflagging career that goes from strength to strength. Twenty-eight albums later and his tour schedule has never been busier with shows throughout Europe, North America and the UK. He’s ranked in the Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists, and “has a beautiful voice,” says AmericanaUK, “that you just melt into.” That voice earned Brooks a nomination for Best Male Vocalist by Spiral Earth, one of the UK's most respected roots music publications. He has an impeccable ear for a good cover. His latest album, “Lucky Star” includes a cover of the Walter Hyatt classic, “Going To New Orleans,”  that features a Second Line groove so deep it would make the late Allen Toussaint proud. He also writes songs that are “sophisticated musically, and yet sound immediately familiar – a sign of a skilled songwriter.” (Down At The Crossroads) Check out “Gambling Man,” and “Bright Side of the Blues.” Williams is no stranger to the major stages and festivals, like Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Vienna’s JazzLand, the legendary Guthrie Center, Scotland’s Celtic Connections, Kerrville Festival in Texas, and the UK’s Glastonbury Festival. His music has charted on North America’s FOLKDJ, the EuroAmericana chart and Blues Lists around the world. WUMB-FM in Boston (USA) voted him one of their Top 100 Artists. Besides solo shows, and shows with the “Lucky Star Trio,” in recent years he has collaborated with Hans Theessink, Abbie Gardner, Boo Hewerdine, Sally Barker, and Guy Davis, to name but a few. Praised by Blues Matters, fRoots, Rolling Stone, the Boston Globe and Mojo, Williams is at the top of his game. “Setting new standards and a fresh direction for the blues,” says Blues In Britain.