Darryl Williams | |
Number of songs: 1 | Total weeks on charts: 3
Appearing in a total number of: 1 charts | Total period running: 14 days
Appearing in a total number of: 1 charts | Total period running: 14 days
Songs by Darryl Williams
 |
Biography
San Diego native Darryl Williams is a naturally gifted musician, who began playing bass at the young age of 13. Only two years into his young career as a bassist, Mr. Williams was playing at local clubs and events around the San Diego area. During this time he had the opportunity to open up for smash RnB group Lakeside. Darryl also played with Gospel Legend Shirley Caesar at age 16. Soon after graduating from high school, Williams did a four month tour in Japan with other young talented musicians, which he states as being “unforgettable.” Upon returning to the States, Mr. Williams and the same band in which he played with in Japan, did a three month tour opening for soul legend Al Green. After that tour, Darryl enrolled in the Jazz Program at San Diego State University and studied with San Diego legends Gunner Biggs and Rick Helzer.
Darryl Williams’ passion and desire to grow as a musician lead him to studying under teachers and mentors who would provide him with this growth. Some of the very well known mentors he studied alongside include former Miles Davis and John Coltrane’s bassist Marshall Hawkins, Sarah Vaughn’s bassist Bob Magnusson, great San Diego bassist Cecil Mcbee Jr., and San Diego sax icon Hollis Gentry III. By age 21, Williams was a regular in the San Diego music scene. He performed regularly with artists like Hollis Gentry, Evan Marks, Patrick Yandall and Grammy Award winning pianist Kamau Kenyatta just to name a few.
In 1997, Williams took a big career move in heading to Las Vegas and performed regularly at all the prestigious hotels and casinos, where he worked with headliners and recording artists. One of the artists Williams performed regularly with was Las Vegas Hall of Fame inductee Clint Holmes. In 1999, Williams was hired as the Musical Director for The International House Of Blues Foundation, where he began working with artists whom he would record several projects with. From 2001 to 2003, Williams was one of the in-house bassists at the world renowned Blue Note Jazz Club. He performed with sax legend Chico Freeman, RnB legend Angela Bofil, and was the bassist and co- host of the Sunday Night Blue Note Jam Session. Darryl was also the second call bassist for Chaka Khan from 2003-2004, which he performed with several times across the States. From 2003 to 2007 Williams worked with many different recording artists in Las Vegas. Some of the artists he performed alongside were Ronnie Foster, Ghalib Ghallab, Tevin Campbell, Clint Holmes, Keith Washington, Skip Martin, Howard Hewitt, and many more.
In September of 2007, Williams relocated to California where he released his first solo CD “That Was Then”. Williams received high praises from several top smooth jazz writers and dj’s for his successful album. In one Jazz Times Magazine article, dated October 2008, jazz writer Brian Soergel said, “Is there room for another smooth jazz bassist to join the ranks of Wayman Tisdale, Brian Bromberg, Michael Manson and Gerald Veasley? In the case of Darryl Williams the answer is an enthusiastic yes!” Two of Williams songs from his debut album were featured on the Weather Channel. The songs can also be heard today on Sirius XM radio, Music Choice, as well as international and national radio stations alike.
From 2007 to present day, Williams has performed and toured with the who’s who of Smooth Jazz and RnB. Some notable names he has performed and toured with include Euge Groove, Michael Lington, Norman Brown, Gerald Albright, Howard Hewitt, Richard Elliot, Ray Parker Jr, Kirk Whalum, Mindi Abair, Keiko Matsui, Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Jeff Lorber, Peter White, Gregg Karukas, The Sax Pack, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Brenda Russell, Kenny Lattimore, Jeff Golub, Howard Hewitt, Paul Brown, Taylor Dayne, Darren Rahn, Michael Paulo, Jessy J, Everette Harp, Jeff Kashiwa, Eric Darius, and many more. Darryl, on top of everything else, is also one of the main stage bassists for the Dave Koz and Friends Jazz Cruise. Williams continues to record today and can be heard on several artists records including Jackiem Joyner, Blake Aaron, U-Nam, Jonathan Fritzen, Nils Jiptner, Will Donato, Al Degregoris, Kay-Ta Matsuno, Michael Paulo, Cal Harris Jr, Gianni Vancini and many more.
In 2017, Williams released his second CD “Here To Stay” with critical acclaim, and garnering a Billboard top ten hit with the title track which features Smooth Jazz Superstar Euge Groove! The CD features some of today’s most dynamic jazz artists. Jazz writer Ronald Jackson wrote, “Fueled by the presence and contributions of such luminaries as guitarists Paul Brown, Adam Hawley and U-Nam; keyboardists/pianists Jonathan Fritzen, Greg Manning, Scott Wilkie, and the prolific and iconic Jeff Lorber; saxmen Michael Lington, Elan Trotman, Marcus Anderson, and Euge Groove, the latter also serving as co-producer of this fine project, Williams beats a solid groove path from the infectious title track to the slick and polished mid-tempo lure of “Now or Never” to the up-tempo dancer “Do You Remember” to the soulful and easy “Reflections” to the mid-tempo finger-snappin’ “Harveston Way” and beyond!”
This year looks to be another exciting one as Williams is set to release his second single, “Do You Remember”, which features dynamic saxman Michael Lington. With high expectations for 2018, you can rest assured that Darryl Williams is “Here To Stay!”
Sources: Wikipedia, Top40-Charts.com Editorial team
Darryl Williams in the news
