[sound bites]

Rockin’ Americana:
The Lefty Williams Bands brings music to Kefi

By: Andrew Kinback

“I’ve even stepped off the stage before and wound up talking with people who began telling me ‘how good they thought the guitarist was’ and then they don’t believe me when I say that I was the guitarist until I step back up on stage,” Jason “Lefty” Williams says in an interview with encore last week. His voice is friendly and a little bashful when talking about himself. The blues guitarist and vocalist for The Lefty Williams Band does not see himself as anyone special, but he has left plenty of people who have heard him play in awe.

The Lefty Williams Band toured for 18 months promoting their debut CD, Big Plans, and soon will release their sophomore record, Snake Oil, in July while continuing to tour the East Coast. Along the way they have gained plenty of attention. “Most people don’t realize that I only have one hand when they first hear me playing,” Lefty reveals.
Say what? some may be thinking.

Well, yes—Lefty Williams plays the guitar with only one hand. The blues-rock guitarist and vocalist, who attacks the strings with precision, was born without a right hand, but it has never stopped him from doing what he loves the most: playing guitar. He has been at it since he was 4 years old and has always known he wanted to be a musician.

“My parents raised me to believe I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to doing. Trying to play guitar was nothing more than deciding to do it and finding the means.

“My dad probably had the most influence over my love of music.

Before I was born he would put headphones on my mother’s stomach and play Yes for me. My dad really loves music. He still gets excited over good music to this day,” Lefty says.

With determination and musical influences like Shuggie Otis, Robert Palmer, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Tool, Frank Zappa and even a little Brad Paisley, the band has fashioned a sound that can only be described as “pure Americana.” The tunes off the new album are ones that will make listeners react one of two ways:

1) Grab a girl off the bar stool, and dance the night away with her;
or 2) Strap a pair of saddlebags on a Harley and just ride the wide American roads cross-country.

Snake Oil harbors Lefty’s wicked guitar and prepossessing lyrics, but also shows off the deep sound of Dustin Sargent’s bass and Steve Saunder’s complementary drums. The band’s blues rock is a far cry from Lefty’s heavy metal- and grunge-playing days, when he spent years learning how to solo, copying licks from Jimi Hendrix and others. Then in the ‘90s, bands like Nirvana inspired him to work on his song craft. In 1998, after he felt his playing went stagnant, he joined the Atlanta Institute of Music, where he learned more about music and was introduced to jazz and blues.

“All of these new musical inspirations didn’t help me with what I call my ‘musical Schizophrenia.’ I’ve always written music with the intent of being diverse. My wife suggested to me when I started putting my own band together that I focus on blues rock. She felt like that was what I do best. So I took her advice,” Lefty admits.

Advice well-heeded, indeed. It only takes one good hand to be impactful; Lefty’s just proves more talented than most.

The Penguin 106.7FM will have an interview with the blues musician, followed by an on-air performance on June 20th at 4pm to preface The Lefty Williams Band’s Kefi performance that evening at 10 o’clock. The cover charge will be between $5 and $10. Snake Oil will be released on July 8th and can be purchased at
www.lefty-music.com.