Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Watching John Williams perform, no matter the setting, has the same feeling of contentment thrust upon you as someone giving you a five star hotel room for the weekend and charging you only a pound for the pleasure. As he stood with guitar in hand and the guitar/violinist of choice, and with Elizabeth Kearney from Nighthowl by his side, the moment of absolute enjoyment was stretched out and unfolded at a rate that would reflect the day, laid back but with the sense of history being made and for that John Williams gave a near exemplary performance in which all assembled revelled in.

Mr. Williams opened his session at the Cornmarket with a composition of his own making, a very beautiful and utterly compelling note to his late wife in which captured more than a few hearts in the public house. The track, Once Around The Lake showed why acoustic music can sometimes frame a tale in a way that other genres sometimes fails to grasp. It does take a master story-teller to do, to make sure the words stand out and away from the notes and the poetic emotions making more sense.

With a gracious nod to the talented song-writing appeal of Richard Shindell, John Williams and Ms. Kearney performed a couple of the man’s songs and for Wisteria, there wasn’t a pin to be heard fainting at the dynamism of the pair and their power to capture a great song very well.

Whilst an acoustic set can sometimes feature heavily different takes on old classic songs, especially those that are much loved and adored by the performer, occasionally a new song filters through and grabs the listener, sat sagely nodding their head at the sounds emanating from the stage, and makes them gasp. For John Williams and his guest for his spot the track Daffa Dilly Down was that moment, a charming and inscrutably enigmatic track which was a particular highlight in a day of top end outstanding performances.

John Williams’ mannerism on stage is one of subtle determination; a man who knows the value of music and what it does to people, for this Mr. Williams is one of the musicians, no matter if performing covers or his own music who should be credited with keeping audiences’ brains, hearts and soul fixed firmly on the end result, the real reason for music, ultimate love.

Ian D. Hall