King Billy (Cal Williams Jr) - Review

Cal Williams Jr – King Billy

When first listening to this CD I thought that Cal had gone the way of Kelly Joe Phelps and dropped any tracks with his trademark slide on them…I need not had any concern because about half way through the CD the slide makes a welcome return.

In listening to this album over the last few months I must admit that the songs have taken a few listens to grow on me…probably a little more so than Cal’s previous CDs. I think it is more because of the Celtic feel to them, and especially the first half of the CD tending more towards a fingerpicking folk/country style.

Cal’s band includes a number of his regular players who have appeared on previous CDs; Kory Horwood on double bass, Anthony Pak Poy on guitar and Emily Davis on vocals. They are joined on King Billy by Dee Trewartha on Violin, Heather Stratfold on Cello, Jon Hunt on Clarinet, and Emma Luker on Violin…certainly a large contingency on stage but it doesn’t make the sound too cluttered. There is a certain space and sparseness in Cal’s music which is a fine line with this number of players. The listener is not hit with a barrage of instrumental cacophony but with well constructed songs matched with solid and thoughtful lyrics.

Players such as John Martyn, Bert Jantz and John Renbourn come to mind when listening to this CD…not only in the style of playing but also in that they all took from various sources and created their own style of music which became a mainstay of British folk/blues scene. Cal does a similar thing here with King Billy…with a nod to some of his earlier blues influences such as Rev Gary Davis’ “Death don’t have no mercy” and Sleepy John Estes “Brownsville”…which both making a showing on this CD, played with a nod to the original versions. I especially like when Kory’s double bass line slips in on the second verse of Brownsville and Cal’s short but sweet slide solo comes in half way through...these are joined by some wonderfully self penned tracks.

King Billy is certainly a sign of Cal’s further development of his signature sound…a beautiful collection of songs and yet again brilliant musicianship…some "soulfelt" music in a sea of commercial dross which has come out of Adelaide at the hands of Cal Williams Jr and co!

Anthony V Moulay

Blues from The Bay

BayFM 99.9 - Byron Bay

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PS: Kelly Joe Phelps is currently recording an album which he promises will see him return to slide guitar!