I went to New York yesterday, and caught Willie Williams' show at the Guggenheim. We didn't really know what to expect, we were going solely on Lades' recommendation, and were just looking for an excuse to go up there. We got there a couple hours early, and checked out the Robert Rauschenberg exhibit. It was incredible to see the whole life's work of this man spread out across that building. It was incredible also that he had created enough art to fill an entire museum. I don't claim to have understood all of it, but it was great to look at. I think any creative expression that can get you thinking is what art is really about. Who cares if you can't find the lady that's supposedly walking down the stairs naked.
But anyway, Willie was great. They went out as a trio, but Willie only mentioned the other musicians' names once, and he kind of mumbled. As far as I could tell, it was Rudy Walker on drums, and Larry Wong on bass. They played some real light bop, inobtrusive and beautiful. It was very loose, almost like backround music. I kind of got the impression that they were playing for the folks walking around looking at art, but if you stopped and listened, you were awarded considerably. In the second set, the drummer broke out the sticks (he had played brushes the whole first set), and they started grooving a little more agressively. It was still really loose and quiet, though. I think they played mostly Willie's originals, but they did a cool version of Mr. PC, real slow and smooth, with extended solo section in the middle.
Overall, I really dug the performance. The musicians were really good, and the tunes were really good. Plus, the bassist did a little dance whenever he soloed, and the drummer had a really good jam face.
They all wore nice suits, too.