Claude "Fiddler" Williams Swingin' the Blues (Bullseye Blues & Jazz)

Claude "Fiddler" Williams

Swingin' the Blues (Bullseye Blues & Jazz)

Ninety-two-year-old violinist Claude "Fiddler" WIlliams may not be quite as feisty as he was back in 1936 when he joined the Count Basie Band at the famed Reno Club in Kansas City, but to this day, the Muskogee, Oklahoma, native retains a honey-sweet tone and deep-blues sensibility that's delicate yet unwavering in its sense of swing. In fact, he may well be the last of the great soloists who remain from that incomparable era when Kansas City was the mecca of the jazz world. Despite his lengthy career, Williams has recorded only sporadically over the years, which will make this new release a revelation of sorts to most listeners. Suffice it to say that you've come to the right place if you're looking for an album that swings with ease, grace, and integrity. The fare is mainly swing era-standards and chestnuts by Arlen, Goodman, Moten, and Ellington, both Duke and Mercer, with a brief nod to modernity from the Horace Silver canon. Along with Williams' eloquent musical voice is the superb New Orleans pianist Henry Butler, who is given some room to roam, plus a couple of guest shots from alto saxman Bobby Watson. It would have been nice to include a bit more of Williams' seasoned vocals to the instrumental mix for the sake of variety, but at a time when violinists who swing are an all-too-rare commodity, this album is a delightful addition.