Brooks Williams (plus support James Frost and John Mudd)

Everybody that I saw exiting this gig at the end of the night had huge grins on their faces.  It was one hell of a night!   Where to start?  Well the easiest thing to do would be to start at the beginning I suppose.

The charismatic James Frost and John Mudd took to the stage, James on acoustic guitar and John on cello.   I've seen these guys before so knew what to expect but for those people that were there on the night who had not encountered this duo before, they were in for a very pleasant surprise.  They performed "Wordless Dance", a haunting instrumental, flawlessly and did a fantastic cover version of Björk's "Jóga" after which you could hear a pin drop when the last note finally ebbed away.  They had a repertoire of emotive songs, including "The Sound of Hearts Breaking", which James' soft vocals complimented perfectly and these were occasionally supplemented by harmonies from John.  They also did an upbeat little number called "Love Will Never Leave Your Heart" on which John dexterously plucked away at the cello like a double bass.  The guys created a serene atmosphere but Brooks Williams, by way of complete contrast, soon picked up the tempo when he picked up his guitar.

Brooks stormed his way through his first set, airing some songs from his new album, including the title track, "Baby O", and "Statesboro Blues".  He also did a couple of my personal faves from older albums, "Weeping Willow Blues" and "Highway 61".  Brooks played his trusty resonator guitar on "Highway 61" - he demonstrated his amazing skill and it didn't take long at all to see why he has been voted No. 56 of the top Guitarists of All Time, an accolade not to be sniffed at. 

As if you needed more evidence of Brooks' versatility and what an outstanding performer he is, during his second set he proceeded to pull out of the bag a couple of slow ballads, one of which was called "Forget About Him" (which he has previously recorded as an upbeat pop song).  These showed a softer, more sentimental side to Brooks.  Amazing night, amazing performer - has to be seen to be believed.

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Author: Dorraine Bennett                           ©2010 Dors Productions