Lefty Williams at Smiths Olde Bar

Keri McDanielKeri McDaniel, Lefty Williams, Smiths Olde BarFebruary 20, 2012

There are actually two stories here……a music review and the triumph of the human spirit. Jason Williams got the nickname of “Lefty” because he was born with only a left arm – At the tender age of 4 he decided he wanted to play the guitar, his father and grandfather not only encouraged and taught him, they also helped customize and develop the special strap he uses to pick and strum. With that, the young ‘Lefty’ could make it happen and thru his dedication and practice, made it happen in a big way. People who make things happen against the odds amaze and inspire me, Jason “Lefty” Williams is one of those people.

Now onto the music—–> This guy can play…..and write……and sing! To get the crowd’s attention, Lefty opened the set by firing off a few licks from Led Zeppelin’s, Out on the Tiles, then jumped straight into Snake Oil, the title track from his 2nd album. Although most of the music he plays is his own compositions, he did include a little CCR with Bad Moon Rising. Lefty’s band, [guitarist, Adam Cain, who swaps lead and rhythm duties and the solid rhythm backing of Steve Saunders (drums) and Bryan Hall (bass)] brings the bluesy, down home feel to all the tunes. A couple “wife inspired” tunes with thoughtful lyrics like You and Myself, and A Little Bit of Faith got every woman in the room’s attention (not that he every lost it). For me, the best jam of the night came out in Sounds Like a Plan, a song inspired by getting into trouble with a friend when he was younger, the tune had a smooth sound reminiscent of the Allman Brothers – it was awesome! Showing his versatile talent, Lefty pulled out the slide for I’d Rather Be Blind. And anyone who has a “past” relationship and is happy that it is “passed” will enjoy Thank You, a song he wrote thanking his ex-wife for kicking him out. Gotta love a man that can find the humor in life and put it to music! Lefty Williams is talented, smooth and real.