John Williams

• Guitarist
• Teacher

Reviews

John Williams press reviews

"The impression was very much of a man who wants to put the music first, and that’s the impression that was made by his actual playing, too.
Williams has the skills of a teller of tales who can draw his listeners in with a few compelling images. He sets the tone and he delivers what he promises, whether it be 18th-century music reimagined for guitar …, the kind of guitar-infused Spanish piano music …, or his own easy-listening pieces, which he delivers with lyrical freedom.
The Irish Times, August 2008.

"He created some remarkable tonal variations, exploiting the unique character of the guitar to range from bright to mellow from one phrase to the next…John Williams projects an unassuming but assured manner, which demonstrates itself in a seemingly effortless style of playing, underpinned by a flawless technique…an awe inspiring performance from a great artist who is still growing creatively."
Newbury Weekly News, May 2008.

"John Williams, the world’s greatest living classical guitarist, wowed an enraptured audience, scarcely able to believe its eyes and ears. … Williams’ performance was technically flawless, emotionally charged, almost otherworldly in its seemingly effortless delivery."
Irish Examiner, April 2008.

"With these pieces…Williams created a range of sound and feeling that verged on the magical."
Edinburgh Evening News, September 2007.

"Williams is a star – a virtuoso completely at ease with whatever style of music he turns to…Four of his own pieces, immediately approachable, revealed Williams as a first-class composer, too."
The Scotsman, September 2007

"With the technique he learned from his father, he can handle every genre. The way he performs for instance the 'Cavatina’ by Meyers, from the film 'The Deer Hunter’, is completely intoxicating."
Noordhollands Dagblad, August 2007
"The duo pieces made the most of their contrasting approaches: in Monti's Casino, it was fascinating to hear how well Williams's straighter, crisper parts meshed with Etheridge's natural swing. Malinke Guitars, Williams's adaptation of three Malian tunes, had a churning groove that refracted the African motifs into something resembling Spanish-tinged minimalism. Williams is that rare thing, a "serious" musician who delights in playing within non-classical contexts without compromising his roots."
(John Williams/John Etheridge, Pizza Express Jazz Club, London)
The Guardian, January 2007
"Their styles might be very different, but their recent duet album, 'Places Between’, revealed plenty of fertile middle ground…Together they made charming music that bridged their different worlds while allowing scope to display their individual skills.
(John Williams/John Etheridge, Pizza Express Jazz Club, London)
The Evening Standard, January 2007

"Meetings between classical and jazz musicians have a habit of slipping between two stools. But John Williams is not your typical, staid recitalist, and John Etheridge is on a purple streak at the moment…so the results of this guitar encounter are special. The programme is a superbly poised mixture of influences, from West African dance rhythms to Django-esque swing and delicate elaborations on baroque themes."
(John Williams/John Etheridge, ?Places Between’ CD)
The Sunday Times, January 2007