Let There Be Love
A message from Oscar winner Don Black
You listen to Gary's voice and you say to yourself, “I could sing like that”. That's because he sounds so relaxed and at home with a song. I say the same thing to myself when I hear Nat Cole, Sinatra, Matt Monro or Dean Martin. However, reality comes roaring in when you give it a go and sound like an ‘X Factor’ reject.
It's a funny thing, you can teach people how to sing but you can't teach them taste and Gary Williams has taste by the bucket load. Just take a look at his choice of songs on this CD. Everyone is a gem; beautifully crafted standards written by some of the best writers in the business. The tight arrangements are elegant and Gary's class is evident on every track.
A few years back this record would have been played all over the airwaves but these days you'll probably only come across it on a handful of discerning radio programmes. This is a great shame because a lot of people are being deprived of hearing a major singing talent. Gary has a whole heap of dedicated showbiz groupies who are always singing his praises and it's only a matter of time before a ‘whole heap’ becomes a vast mass. Meanwhile, as Gary tells us on his opening track - ‘Let's Face The Music and Dance’. Don Black
Lost and Found, a message from Gary Williams
I've always loved the melodic jazz piano and musky voice of Nat Cole. After performing his most famous songs with John Wilson conducting various concert orchestras, I commissioned Andrew Cottee to arrange the repertoire for the best trio of musicians I could find. At one concert, the sound engineer had the foresight to make an archive recording of the show, never intended for release, which I found by accident late 2010. As you'll hear it is a little raw in places, but it does capture the magic and spontaneity of a live show that simply can't be replicated in the studio. Gary Williams 2011
Reviews
"It’s a pleasure to welcome into our library another offering from Gary Williams: His latest – “Let There Be Love – A Celebration of Nat King Cole’ doesn’t disappoint. As these are all live performances, the acoustic isn’t studio-sharp but pleasant and atmospheric. Gary sounds on great form - hear him especially on ‘Nature Boy’, a testing piece for any singer – and pianist James Pearson & his Trio are perfect accompanists throughout. Every song (there are nineteen) is, of course, associated closely with Nat but Gary brings is own interpretation to them, with no attempt at imitation. Russell played track 4: 'Walking My Baby Back Home' on Sunday 6th March 2011." BBC Radio 2's Russell Davis
“Gary Williams pays tribute to Nat Cole on Let There Be Love. Without making any attempt to imitate the Cole sound or phrasing, Williams captures the relaxed ease that imbued Cole’s singing, and the Williams pipes are fine in their own right. Williams continues to be among the best of the younger generation of vocalists who carry the torch of good music for those with discerning ears.” Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz (USA)
"Gary needs no introduction to readers of this magazine; his work has been praised by us on many occasions in the past. This time we find him in a sophisticated cabaret setting, with superb arrangements by Andrew Cottee. Gary sings in the kind of relaxed and confident manner that can only be achieved by a performer with plenty of experience and bucketfuls of talent. Both Gary and Andrew have deservedly enjoyed considerable success in their careers since 2004, and long may they both continue to regale us with top quality popular music. The future is bright with talents like this around the scene." David Ades, Journal Into Melody, June 2011