Full Circle - CD
"Lori Williams has a rich voice, able to take it to a wisp or get strong on this collection of thoughtful covers. She’s with a core team of Allyn Johnson/p-key, Carrol Dashiell, III/dr, Kris Funn/b and rotates around with Antonio Parker/sax, Stanley Cooper/g and Tracey Cutler/sax. She and Cutler’s alto team with a soulful keyboard take of “My Funny Valentine” while she gets folksy with Cooper and some strings on a wistful “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Most intriguing is a gospel drenched read of Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday” that gets deep into some R&B for the climax, with a New Orleans vibe for a festive “Auld Lang Syne” not far behind. Most intimate is a recording of her and her (late) dad (Robert Williams) a church deacon, teaming together for a tender read of “The Best Is Yet To Come,” not the standard, but a personal original. This gal has some great ideas, and like “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” she can surprise you with changes of pulses, sounds and dynamics. Creative and alluring." - JazzWeekly.com


