Credits:

Brandon Williams

Description:

Based in Detroit, Michigan, Brandon Williams has produced, arranged, performed, and remixed for many well-known soul, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop artists, and has been honored with numerous awards, including a Grammy Award. Brandon's first leader album, "XII" (2014), is the result of his multi-talents, and features a stellar lineup of guests and performers from the jazz and neo-soul fields. The album, which featured old and new jazz greats including Robert Glasper's group, indie neo-soul singers represented by Frank McCombe, and backed by local Detroit musicians of the calibre of Michael J. Powell, Brandon's mentor, and the late J. Dilla, is a collection of jazz and neo-soul songs from Detroit's urban sound. The album is an adult, hip musical journey that connects the Detroit urban sound from Brandon's mentor Michael J. Powell to the late J. Dilla.Opening with an animated song from the children's TV show "Sesame Street," the album unfolds with elegant and mellow tunes, showing love for jazz/fusion predecessors (including the deceased) such as George Duke, Joe Sample, Weldon Irvine, and Quincy Jones. This jazz R&B album, which approaches the Robert Glasper Experiment's "Black Radio" in a similar manner, will transcend genre boundaries and captivate a wide range of listeners.