Enthusiastic...
Reckless...
Stormy...
Rock & Roll in its natural state...

 

 

This explains why the Kansas City Star Pronounced Jason D. Williams as "the past and future of rock & roll."  The Beacon Journal dubbed him as "The worlds greatest piano player."  Most importantly this reminds you of why you got into rock & roll in the first place, to get a little wild.

After seeing a live show there will be no doubt why fans and critics alike agree with that summation of the dynamic piano player from Memphis.  Jason D. has the same musical innovation and on the edge attitude as Jerry Lee and Elvis.

Jason's' style is difficult to describe.  From Classical to Rockabilly to County to Jazz and on to Rock & Roll, Jason D. adapts to each different concert setting he performs.

Television cameras love Jason's energy and style.  He has appeared on such shows as MTV's News at Night, MTV The Week in Rock, Pat Sajak Show, LIVE! on ABC, Regis and Kathie Lee Show, VH1, VH1's This is Country, Crook & Chase, Nashville Now, Music City Tonight, Entertainment Tonight, that's just to name a few.

Jason is on the road over 200 days a year playing to crowds in every setting, from clubs to amphitheaters and many corporate sponsored events.  Jason D. is unique, talented and full of raw energy.  This is one act you have to see and hear to believe.

Jason D. Williams has spent a lifetime behind the piano connecting with country and rock 'n' roll greats while creating a persona that's 100 percent original. After decades of being celebrated for his take-no-prisoners approach to performing country and rock 'n' roll penned by others, Williams has added a new element to his artistry, songwriting.

Early in 2010, Williams, who recorded for RCA and Sun Records in the 1980s and '90s, was set to return to the recording fold with Todd Snider as his producer. The two had discussed the covers they would tackle and tape had started to roll when they decided to try something different. Snider had become entranced by Williams' ability to create poetry on the spot and thought his words could easily become lyrics.

Almost instantly, many of the songs they had worked up were tossed and Williams went to town, making up songs as he went along. It's the way rappers and poets work, Snider and Williams figured, so why not apply that to country and rock 'n' roll?

"This is how I pictured the Rolling Stones recording 'Exile on Main Street '," Snider notes. "Jason would say something, then start playing and we'd say let's chase one and drop the other. You end up spending just a hours on some of the songs.

"Some of the longer ones needed editing so we'd cut them down and do another take. I have never worked like that before. It was exciting to be part of it."

Williams and Snider drew on all sorts of inspiration. "Big Red Green One" got started after Williams saw those words written in a piece of tape in the studio. "If You ever Saw a Baby with It's Pud" arose from Snider challenging Williams to create a song the way a rapper would free-style. For "White Trash," a call was placed to one of Williams' longtime friends to get a verbal description of his hometown in Arkansas. "Mr. Jesus" was done to make each other laugh

"What am I Gonna Do" was one of the songs that went on for awhile. They did 12 verses on the spot, shortened it and recorded the edited version the next day. And the song meant to be played at last call at bars across America, "To Hell With You," sprang from a jam session after Williams came up with the line "I never dated a man like Merle Haggard."

Once they got started, Snider brought in Dan Baird and Keith Christopher, both formerly of the Georgia Satellites, to help shape the tunes. "We felt like we were part of something unique as the songwriting was coming alive," Snider says.

Although their original meeting was in Memphis where Williams is based, the recording took place in Nashville. "We felt like we were making rock n roll in the heart of country," Williams says.

The rock 'n' roll history of Memphis looms large in Williams' world. He recorded for Sun Records, the early label home of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and the man who first took Williams on the road, rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef.

At the age of 16, Williams left his tiny hometown of El Dorado, Ark., to perform with LaBeef who had set up a base of operations in northeast Massachusetts.

Williams, who continues to work with LaBeef, went solo in the late 1980s and had a gig booked at the Peabody in Memphis. A snowstorm followed him into town that prevented anyone from leaving or entering the city. Williams' quickly attracted a following and the Peabody management gave him a permanent gig at the hotel.

He left after signing with RCA, which released his first album "Tore Up," and he stayed on the road after Sun issued "Wild" in 1993. "Rock All Night," released in 2004, captured the power of his blend of honky tonk country and Memphis rock 'n' roll.

Williams has continued to tour and performs up to 200 shows per year. Having a visual appeal on par with his musical talent has led to numerous television appearances, among them "Regis and Kathie Lee," "Nashville Now," "Entertainment Tonight" and various shows on MTYV and VH1.

A wild man onstage, he has been compared to Jerry Lee Lewis so often that rumors started in Memphis that he was the Killer's son.

The influence of Lewis comes through in his high-energy performances, Williams says, but his songs get him to a different place. As he says, "It's Jerry Lee Lewis meets Jackson Pollock and Jerry Lee Lewis meets Joe Namath."

"I will always revere Jerry Lee Lewis," Williams says. "Jerry Lee alway likes to say he did everything in one take and I like that approach. Now of course plenty of the songs on the album are third, fourth or fifth takes, but I like the fact that you are hearing what the performers were thinking at that very exact moment."