Jack Williams is a national class guitarist/singer/songwnter based in Columbia, SC. He is considered among the handful of artists who - in skill, depth and integrity - are smply beyond the pale of the average club artist on the circuit. Among acoustic guitarists he is near-legendary. Having avoided the compromises of the commercial music industry during his 41-year professional career, he has preferred working the road, playing coffeehouses, concerts and festivals week in, week out, from the sheer love and respect - of music.

Jack has been writing since 1970, and has three CDs of original music. The newest, Across the Winterline, will soon be on the new Wind River (Folk Era) Records label. There is also Dreams of the Song Dog, formerly on Winter Harvest Records, and Highway From Back Home, his 1993 independent CD, also soon to be re-issued on Wind River.

In recent years, Jack has emerged from self-imposed obscurity to become firmly established in the contemporary acoustic - or "folk" - music world. This has led him to acclaimed appeararnces at Kerrville, Philadelphia and other music festivals and venues, and at the 1995, 1997, 1998 and l999 Folk Alliance Conferences, where his guitar-playing, songs, and commanding personal presence cause buzz.

As a singer/songwriter, Jack has opened for Dar Williams, Tom Paxton, David Wilcox, The Kingston Trio, Steve Forbert, Kevin Welch, Peter Rowan, Dave Mason, Guy Clark, Edwards, Fred Eaglesmith and Leon Russell. As a guitarist, he has been invited to accompany Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow, (at the opening concert of the '99 N.A Folk Alliance), Lucy Kaplansky, Ellis Paul, and Mickey Newbury.

Friendships with two great singers had an enormous impact on the rest of Jack's career. In 1973, his relationship with the late Harry Nilsson resulted in an album effort at RCA during a year of music industry turmoil and was an extraordinary learning experience. He lately has toured as sole accompanist to his friend, legendary songwriter Mickey Newbury, with whom he recorded a live a1bum, Nights When I Am Sane, on Winter Harvest. In 1996, Jack co-produced, played and co-wrote a song on Mickey's newest CD. Lulled By The Moonlight, which made Billboard's CD pick-of-he-week. Jack remains involved in helping Mickey complete his life's work in performing and recording.

From 1958 through 1987, Jack was probably best-known as an electric guitarist in several influntial rock bands. In the late 60's, he began exploring his troubadour nature and started to perform solo, singing and playing a gut-string guitar, traveling coast to coast. Before becoming a writer, Jack drew inspiration from the likes of Jesse Winchester, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Willis Alan Ramsey and Ray Charles. When the spirit moves him today, hundreds of songs from favorite writers spring readily from his and fingers.

As a hired-gun guitarist in the 60's, Jack worked shows with John Lee Hooker, Big Joe Turner, Jerry Butler, Z.Z. Hill and Hank Ballard, and later opened performances by the AlIman Brothers and Delbert McClinton. His bands also backed up such artists as the Shirelles, the Del-Vikings, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Coasters, the Drifters, and the Platters.

Jack's career has been nothing if not eclectic. He played trumpet in a jazz quartet in a beatnik coffeehouse in Seattle in 1959 - reading poetry to the audience during breaks. He learned banjo and mandolin to spice up folk groups in the 60's. He played pedal-steel guitar in a country-rock band, and composed chamber music for strings, winds, piano and voice for which he won a national arts grant in 1967. He also played classical guitar/lute in a Renaissance ensemble.

Jack Williams is truly a melting pot of all these influences, fusing guitar, voice and so all-American southern music that should not be missed.

"JACK WILLIAMS and his songs are an American treasurer!" Mickey Newbury

"Jack is the greatest guitar player I've ever heard!" Peter Yarrow