David Williams

Fiction writer, singer-songwriter, cartoonist; gypsy jazz and blues guitarist, violinist, & mandolinist.

David Williams is a singer-songwriter, cartoonist, writer, and multi-instrumentalist, who plays guitar, mandolin, and fiddle.  His musical influences include everything from gypsy jazz to delta blues to bluegrass and folk.  As a singer-songwriter, he is known for his way with words, and his melodies, which conjure up the American musical landscape.  His songs touch on everything from the difficulties of love to the people and places along old Route 66, to a carnival from his childhood, or to swing tunes reminiscent of Tin-Pan-Alley.

Over the years David h!s studied the passionate guitar work of the famed gypsy swing instrumentalist, Django Reinhardt, and David now infuses his own sets with elements of gypsy jazz: an infectious, lively musical mix of American swing with European gypsy shadings.  David has added many of those tones to a number of his recent compositions that appear on his new album: "Where the Dark Road Starts: Songs of Love."

In the past, David has recorded and performed with people such as Greg Brown, Dave Moore, and he studied and performed with the great mandolinist Jethro Burns, of Homer and Jethro fame.  In addition, David has performed at many of the large folk music festivals, such as Vancouver and Winnipeg, where he has been recognized for both his songwriting and instrumental work.

Besides his musical work, David is a working cartoonist, short story writer, and children's author with Random House.  He has a Ph.D. in English, and he has been a writer in residence at a number of colleges and universities in the US.  He has also written and recorded a number of award winning albums for kids, having written a few hundred songs about animals of every kind, all done in a bluesy, folk, swing style. In the Fall of 2005, his first book of short stories (an accompanying CD of new folk, Americana songs) will be released through Ghost Road Press, titled INDIAN BINGO, chronicling the characters in and around Joplin, MO, where David's family originated, and where he once lived as a child.

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“Williams works magic. . . . [he] describes commonplace events with uncommon grace.”

Newsweek magazine

“David Williams hits you like high beams from a big rig. . . . the record [Route 66] is about more than an old road.”

The Chicago Sun Times

“David Williams’. . .  songs teach as well as entertain.”

The Chicago Tribune

“Route 66  is a musical journey from Chicago to the Ozarks, down the fabled highway David Williams traveled as a child.  His songs are full of interesting characters, in settings ranging from roadside diners to the crowded streets of Chicago to a barren farm in the middle of nowhere, all connected by this trail of tarmac.  It’s a mix of styles: blues, folk, rockabilly, all complemented by Williams’ warm, rich vocals.  A highlight is “Flood Water,” whose bitter, scathing lyrics are sung to, of all things, an old timey country tune.  This is a Midwestern anthem.  Crank down the windows and take a ride.”

Dirty Linen

“It’s as though Williams has peeled off a chunk of worn asphalt from the “old road” like it was a genuine slice of life, and treated it with the loving attention of a museum curator in order to preserve it for as long as possible.”

Jefferson County Journal Tennessee.

“His songwriting has that same, wonderful sense of the bizarre [as Gorka].  Like Gorka, he even writes great songs about cows and pigs.  This is the definitive animal song  tape. . . this tape is a gem!”

Dirty Linen

“I’ve seen a lot of singer-songwriters pass through over the years; most of them quickly  forgotten.  But every once in awhile, someone rises up with a real talent for lyrics, and such a talent is David Williams.”

Come For To Sing

“You will be knocked out by Williams. . . reminiscent of Ry Cooder and Leon Redbone.  A totally terrific collection . . . .”

The Chicago Sun Times

“In this superb oral history, Williams gathers together the “prairie stories” told by his Grandmother.” 

Publishers Weekly

“The voice is quietly upbeat, remembering the adventure and the safety of the family wagon against the wild outside.  Precise details evoke the hardship as well as the hope.” 

Booklist