Davey Biography

Davey Williams

Davey Williams, guitarist
Biographical Information

Recent Musical Activities (1996-99):

Performances with LaDonna Smith (New York City, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Milwaukee & Birmingham), composers Anne Lebaron (Merkin Concert Hall, New York City & Univ. of Pittsburg) and Gustavo Matamoros (Merkin Concert Hall, NYC & Florida, the Brazil Festival, Miami), Curlew (New York, Boston, Washington & Pittsburg), Jim Staley & Ikue Mori (New York, London, Amsterdam & Switzerland), Phoebe Legere (New York), Phil Gelb & Joe McPhee, and Luc Houtkamp (the Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, the SubTropics Festival, Miami and other cities in Florida), the Say What! trio (Water Rats Club, London), with Marcus Eichenberger (Switzerland), numerous ad hoc improvisational performances including duos and various larger ensembles with Eugene Chadbourne, Ned Mudd (Birmingham/Chattanooga), with Toshi Makihari at the High Wire Gallery (Philadelphia), with Ikue Mori at CBGBs (New York), with Wally Shoup (Seattle/Olympia), solo concerts (Memphis, St. Louis, Birmingham, New Orleans, Seattle). Recordings and concert tour with Curlew, recordings with Oteil Burbrage, Jim Staley/Ikue Mori, Michael Zerang/LaDonna Smith/Fred Lonberg-Holm, Ned Mudd; solo guitar CD, Eugene Chadbourne, Michael Evans.

Musical Activities Prior to 1996:

Began playing guitar (1964, age twelve), high school rock bands (1968-70), studied with and played in the band of Delta blues musician Johnny Shines (1971, with occasional performances through the late 80s), Salt & Pepper Soul Band and Show (1971-74), University of Alabama 'B' Jazz Ensemble (big band Tuscaloosa 1975),

First concert with LaDonna Smith & founding of TransMuseq duo and improvisational music studio (1974) with first LP recordings released on TransMuseq (1778) and first CDs (early 70s), Rev. Fred Lane (1975-), first US tour 1978, first European tour 1979, avant-blues band Trains In Trouble (mid-1980s), joined Curlew with George Cartwright, Tom Cora, Wayne Horvitz, Ann Rupel and others (1986-currently), Col. Bruce Hampton (mid-80s), band leader and composer for OK, Nurse (1987-90), Say What! improvisational trio (1991-), experimental punk band Fuzzy Suns (1992-93), solo guitar concerts (1980-), various ensembles with Jim Staley and Ikue Mori (1987-)

Other Musical Collaborations:

Min Tanaka, the Shaking Ray Levis, Gunter Christmann, Anne LeBaron, John Zorn, Eugene Chadbourne, Kramer, Roger Turner, Marcus Eichenberger/Philip Micol, Billy Jenkins, Gustavo Matamoros, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, LaDonna Smith
Michael Evans, Andrea Centazzo, Ned Mudd, and others...

Summary of Musical Activities:

In various types of ensembles, most notably with TransMuseq founder and partner, LaDonna Smith.
He has performed at most of the leading venues for and festivals of new composed and improvised music in North America and Europe (well over 1500 concerts since 1974); has appeared on over 40 published recordings.

Other Activities:

Co-Founder/editor of the improvisor journal of free improvisation (1981; eleven issues as of 1996), served on advisory panel to National Endowment for the Arts Interdisciplinary arts (Washington, D.C. 1990), free-lance music critic for the Birmingham News (1987-89), bogus music history articles for Experimental Musical Instruments journal, real articles on improvisation published in various journals and magazines, liner notes for several Cds and LPs, articles on the connection between free sound and surrealism (Musicworks, Perspectives in New Music.) Author of recent cartoon book about fried eggs,
"Which Came First: the Fried Chicken or the Fried Egg?"