Judith Williams
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About Judith Williams
Interview by Gareth Vile:
Judith Williams' enthusiasm for music began at an early age. “My dad plays the piano, so we have always had music in the family,” she says. “And the Williams’ family car journey songs are vast and varied.” Like her repertoire of numbers from The Great American Song Book, Williams’ tastes have always ranged across genres, weaving together musical showstoppers and more retrospective jazz standards.
Although Williams has recently become known for her singing as well as her acting – her early career included stints on TV, a role in Peter Mullan’s 'Orphans' and on Tramway’s spectacular stage in Raindog’s well-remembered production of 'The House of Bernada Alba' – song has always been at the heart of her art. A trip to New York, where she saw Bernadette Peters in Gypsy reminded her of her love for the musical. She returned to London and studied a postgraduate course in Musical Theatre. From here, her reinvention as a jazz singer was a short step.
“The Great American Songbook for me is a series of mini monologues,” she explains. “And the stories in the songs are what I find hugely appealing about them.” She often surprises musicians by pointing out that what has been accepted as a jazz classic was, in fact, originally from a musical, and the influence of the skills she has developed as an actor feeds her interpretations. “It feels in some ways that this is the full circle, integrating the skills I have learnt in musical theatre, and holding the spaces tenderly within my breath and body to allow more through,” she adds. “ creating events that are not theatre but are theatrical!”
By placing her performances in a more intimate setting, Williams avoids the problems of musical theatre’s frequent substitution of polish for sincerity. Her choices are always personal – “it is normally the songs that I hear once and put on repeat fifteen times on the trot: with a deep longing sense of, “yes! yes, I have got to learn this tune!” she laughs – reflecting not only her craft and experience, but also her personality.
“There is a huge idealistic sentimentality in some of the songs which, I suppose, suits me,” she notes. “And the grief and the pathos that is in a lot of them also: they span a great deal of ‘heart-life.’” And while the intimacy of her performance is suited to the simple orchestration of the duo, she works with a range of musicians to span the breadth of her selections. She did a series of duo concerts in the Project Cafe in 2015 teamed with Scotland's finest pianists Euan Stephenson, Tom Gibbs, Paul Harrison, Peter Johnstone. The legendary Harry Hussey and guitarist Nigel Clark: each combination adding a different tenor to her readings of classic numbers.
Despite being a determinedly Scottish singer – there is no attempt to simply imitate the American style – Williams thinks that The Great American Songbook has a unique vitality. “There is probably something about the pioneering spirit of Americans that is appealing,” she says. “Maybe it is associated with the brash, American belting, but also something about the bravery of the emotional range, I suspect.”
Her appreciation of the songs, however, may still owe much to those childhood car sing-alongs and the atmosphere of her homeland. She reflects that “as much as Nina Simone, Chet Baker and Blossom Dearie, it is also the weather that hugely influences the material I am drawn to, seasons and harvest of the heart.” She loves the work of poets David Whyte, Rainer Maria Rilke and Mary Oliver for this connection.
Recent concerts prove her theory: “Singing You Must Believe in Spring" in the heart and depth of winter with Nigel Clark recently, it made a lot of sense. And equally, with Harry Hussey singing Stardust at the CCA with the windows open and the breeze coming in,” she remembers. “Yes, space and time within me and the people in the room are an influence and inspiration on the way that the song is handled and delivered.”
The Great American Songbook covers many moods and modes, but a recurrent theme is love – Williams connects these with her personal feelings about the music. “I sing the songs that I love,” she reflects. “It’s the songs that sing for me, that’s what is necessary about music. It can touch the bits of us that we didn’t know were needing heard. Music has the quality to reach the places that we didn’t know you were neglecting.
Judith Williams' enthusiasm for music began at an early age. “My dad plays the piano, so we have always had music in the family,” she says. “And the Williams’ family car journey songs are vast and varied.” Like her repertoire of numbers from The Great American Song Book, Williams’ tastes have always ranged across genres, weaving together musical showstoppers and more retrospective jazz standards.
Although Williams has recently become known for her singing as well as her acting – her early career included stints on TV, a role in Peter Mullan’s 'Orphans' and on Tramway’s spectacular stage in Raindog’s well-remembered production of 'The House of Bernada Alba' – song has always been at the heart of her art. A trip to New York, where she saw Bernadette Peters in Gypsy reminded her of her love for the musical. She returned to London and studied a postgraduate course in Musical Theatre. From here, her reinvention as a jazz singer was a short step.
“The Great American Songbook for me is a series of mini monologues,” she explains. “And the stories in the songs are what I find hugely appealing about them.” She often surprises musicians by pointing out that what has been accepted as a jazz classic was, in fact, originally from a musical, and the influence of the skills she has developed as an actor feeds her interpretations. “It feels in some ways that this is the full circle, integrating the skills I have learnt in musical theatre, and holding the spaces tenderly within my breath and body to allow more through,” she adds. “ creating events that are not theatre but are theatrical!”
By placing her performances in a more intimate setting, Williams avoids the problems of musical theatre’s frequent substitution of polish for sincerity. Her choices are always personal – “it is normally the songs that I hear once and put on repeat fifteen times on the trot: with a deep longing sense of, “yes! yes, I have got to learn this tune!” she laughs – reflecting not only her craft and experience, but also her personality.
“There is a huge idealistic sentimentality in some of the songs which, I suppose, suits me,” she notes. “And the grief and the pathos that is in a lot of them also: they span a great deal of ‘heart-life.’” And while the intimacy of her performance is suited to the simple orchestration of the duo, she works with a range of musicians to span the breadth of her selections. She did a series of duo concerts in the Project Cafe in 2015 teamed with Scotland's finest pianists Euan Stephenson, Tom Gibbs, Paul Harrison, Peter Johnstone. The legendary Harry Hussey and guitarist Nigel Clark: each combination adding a different tenor to her readings of classic numbers.
Despite being a determinedly Scottish singer – there is no attempt to simply imitate the American style – Williams thinks that The Great American Songbook has a unique vitality. “There is probably something about the pioneering spirit of Americans that is appealing,” she says. “Maybe it is associated with the brash, American belting, but also something about the bravery of the emotional range, I suspect.”
Her appreciation of the songs, however, may still owe much to those childhood car sing-alongs and the atmosphere of her homeland. She reflects that “as much as Nina Simone, Chet Baker and Blossom Dearie, it is also the weather that hugely influences the material I am drawn to, seasons and harvest of the heart.” She loves the work of poets David Whyte, Rainer Maria Rilke and Mary Oliver for this connection.
Recent concerts prove her theory: “Singing You Must Believe in Spring" in the heart and depth of winter with Nigel Clark recently, it made a lot of sense. And equally, with Harry Hussey singing Stardust at the CCA with the windows open and the breeze coming in,” she remembers. “Yes, space and time within me and the people in the room are an influence and inspiration on the way that the song is handled and delivered.”
The Great American Songbook covers many moods and modes, but a recurrent theme is love – Williams connects these with her personal feelings about the music. “I sing the songs that I love,” she reflects. “It’s the songs that sing for me, that’s what is necessary about music. It can touch the bits of us that we didn’t know were needing heard. Music has the quality to reach the places that we didn’t know you were neglecting.
Show More
Hometown:
Glasgow, United Kingdom
No upcoming shows
Send a request to Judith Williams to play in your city
Request a Show
Similar Artists On Tour
concerts and tour dates
About Judith Williams
Interview by Gareth Vile:
Judith Williams' enthusiasm for music began at an early age. “My dad plays the piano, so we have always had music in the family,” she says. “And the Williams’ family car journey songs are vast and varied.” Like her repertoire of numbers from The Great American Song Book, Williams’ tastes have always ranged across genres, weaving together musical showstoppers and more retrospective jazz standards.
Although Williams has recently become known for her singing as well as her acting – her early career included stints on TV, a role in Peter Mullan’s 'Orphans' and on Tramway’s spectacular stage in Raindog’s well-remembered production of 'The House of Bernada Alba' – song has always been at the heart of her art. A trip to New York, where she saw Bernadette Peters in Gypsy reminded her of her love for the musical. She returned to London and studied a postgraduate course in Musical Theatre. From here, her reinvention as a jazz singer was a short step.
“The Great American Songbook for me is a series of mini monologues,” she explains. “And the stories in the songs are what I find hugely appealing about them.” She often surprises musicians by pointing out that what has been accepted as a jazz classic was, in fact, originally from a musical, and the influence of the skills she has developed as an actor feeds her interpretations. “It feels in some ways that this is the full circle, integrating the skills I have learnt in musical theatre, and holding the spaces tenderly within my breath and body to allow more through,” she adds. “ creating events that are not theatre but are theatrical!”
By placing her performances in a more intimate setting, Williams avoids the problems of musical theatre’s frequent substitution of polish for sincerity. Her choices are always personal – “it is normally the songs that I hear once and put on repeat fifteen times on the trot: with a deep longing sense of, “yes! yes, I have got to learn this tune!” she laughs – reflecting not only her craft and experience, but also her personality.
“There is a huge idealistic sentimentality in some of the songs which, I suppose, suits me,” she notes. “And the grief and the pathos that is in a lot of them also: they span a great deal of ‘heart-life.’” And while the intimacy of her performance is suited to the simple orchestration of the duo, she works with a range of musicians to span the breadth of her selections. She did a series of duo concerts in the Project Cafe in 2015 teamed with Scotland's finest pianists Euan Stephenson, Tom Gibbs, Paul Harrison, Peter Johnstone. The legendary Harry Hussey and guitarist Nigel Clark: each combination adding a different tenor to her readings of classic numbers.
Despite being a determinedly Scottish singer – there is no attempt to simply imitate the American style – Williams thinks that The Great American Songbook has a unique vitality. “There is probably something about the pioneering spirit of Americans that is appealing,” she says. “Maybe it is associated with the brash, American belting, but also something about the bravery of the emotional range, I suspect.”
Her appreciation of the songs, however, may still owe much to those childhood car sing-alongs and the atmosphere of her homeland. She reflects that “as much as Nina Simone, Chet Baker and Blossom Dearie, it is also the weather that hugely influences the material I am drawn to, seasons and harvest of the heart.” She loves the work of poets David Whyte, Rainer Maria Rilke and Mary Oliver for this connection.
Recent concerts prove her theory: “Singing You Must Believe in Spring" in the heart and depth of winter with Nigel Clark recently, it made a lot of sense. And equally, with Harry Hussey singing Stardust at the CCA with the windows open and the breeze coming in,” she remembers. “Yes, space and time within me and the people in the room are an influence and inspiration on the way that the song is handled and delivered.”
The Great American Songbook covers many moods and modes, but a recurrent theme is love – Williams connects these with her personal feelings about the music. “I sing the songs that I love,” she reflects. “It’s the songs that sing for me, that’s what is necessary about music. It can touch the bits of us that we didn’t know were needing heard. Music has the quality to reach the places that we didn’t know you were neglecting.
Judith Williams' enthusiasm for music began at an early age. “My dad plays the piano, so we have always had music in the family,” she says. “And the Williams’ family car journey songs are vast and varied.” Like her repertoire of numbers from The Great American Song Book, Williams’ tastes have always ranged across genres, weaving together musical showstoppers and more retrospective jazz standards.
Although Williams has recently become known for her singing as well as her acting – her early career included stints on TV, a role in Peter Mullan’s 'Orphans' and on Tramway’s spectacular stage in Raindog’s well-remembered production of 'The House of Bernada Alba' – song has always been at the heart of her art. A trip to New York, where she saw Bernadette Peters in Gypsy reminded her of her love for the musical. She returned to London and studied a postgraduate course in Musical Theatre. From here, her reinvention as a jazz singer was a short step.
“The Great American Songbook for me is a series of mini monologues,” she explains. “And the stories in the songs are what I find hugely appealing about them.” She often surprises musicians by pointing out that what has been accepted as a jazz classic was, in fact, originally from a musical, and the influence of the skills she has developed as an actor feeds her interpretations. “It feels in some ways that this is the full circle, integrating the skills I have learnt in musical theatre, and holding the spaces tenderly within my breath and body to allow more through,” she adds. “ creating events that are not theatre but are theatrical!”
By placing her performances in a more intimate setting, Williams avoids the problems of musical theatre’s frequent substitution of polish for sincerity. Her choices are always personal – “it is normally the songs that I hear once and put on repeat fifteen times on the trot: with a deep longing sense of, “yes! yes, I have got to learn this tune!” she laughs – reflecting not only her craft and experience, but also her personality.
“There is a huge idealistic sentimentality in some of the songs which, I suppose, suits me,” she notes. “And the grief and the pathos that is in a lot of them also: they span a great deal of ‘heart-life.’” And while the intimacy of her performance is suited to the simple orchestration of the duo, she works with a range of musicians to span the breadth of her selections. She did a series of duo concerts in the Project Cafe in 2015 teamed with Scotland's finest pianists Euan Stephenson, Tom Gibbs, Paul Harrison, Peter Johnstone. The legendary Harry Hussey and guitarist Nigel Clark: each combination adding a different tenor to her readings of classic numbers.
Despite being a determinedly Scottish singer – there is no attempt to simply imitate the American style – Williams thinks that The Great American Songbook has a unique vitality. “There is probably something about the pioneering spirit of Americans that is appealing,” she says. “Maybe it is associated with the brash, American belting, but also something about the bravery of the emotional range, I suspect.”
Her appreciation of the songs, however, may still owe much to those childhood car sing-alongs and the atmosphere of her homeland. She reflects that “as much as Nina Simone, Chet Baker and Blossom Dearie, it is also the weather that hugely influences the material I am drawn to, seasons and harvest of the heart.” She loves the work of poets David Whyte, Rainer Maria Rilke and Mary Oliver for this connection.
Recent concerts prove her theory: “Singing You Must Believe in Spring" in the heart and depth of winter with Nigel Clark recently, it made a lot of sense. And equally, with Harry Hussey singing Stardust at the CCA with the windows open and the breeze coming in,” she remembers. “Yes, space and time within me and the people in the room are an influence and inspiration on the way that the song is handled and delivered.”
The Great American Songbook covers many moods and modes, but a recurrent theme is love – Williams connects these with her personal feelings about the music. “I sing the songs that I love,” she reflects. “It’s the songs that sing for me, that’s what is necessary about music. It can touch the bits of us that we didn’t know were needing heard. Music has the quality to reach the places that we didn’t know you were neglecting.
Show More
Hometown:
Glasgow, United Kingdom
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