Diane Zeigler and Brooks Williams House Concert

From WWR

The Diane Zeigler and Brooks Williams House Concert was Thursday, March 30, 2006.

Who: Diane Zeigler, and Brooks Williams

When: Thursday, March 30, 7PM

Where: The Whole Wheat Cabin, H Street, East Talkeetna, Alaska

Diane Zeigler, a Vermont-based singer-songwriter, has had a beloved place in the Whole Wheat Radio music library since early on. She and her husband recorded her third album Paintbrush independently at home (first two CDs were on Rounder) – And when Jim and I read the liner notes to Paintbrush we laughed and fell in love, knowing from personal experience what they’d gone through to produce something so special and beautiful at home. Diane is the quintessential mellow, thoughtful, sincere and tasteful New England singer-songwriter. You can just relax into the rich, peaceful timbre of her voice, dig into her stories and insights, and walk away remembering her sweet melodies.

Brooks Williams is a newer voice for us, but not to the Northeastern US. Over the last decade, he has recorded no less than 15 albums of his own material, both instrumental and vocal. Acoustic guitar playing is his art: "From the very beginning, Brooks Williams' music has showed a strong connection to roots music, mixed in with a swinging improvisational feel reminiscent of jazz, and an almost classical sounding cinematic harmony." He reflects, "I taught myself to play guitar, for the most part, by listening to very diverse music, such as Debussy, the Beatles, Michael Bloomfield, John Renbourn, Jobim, Bach, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Pat Methany, Phil Keaggy, and Joseph Spence. Very different players and composers, but somehow, to my ears, they all come together. From Day One that’s what I have tried to emulate in my compositions and arrangements."

It will be a delight to hear Diane and Brooks play (both solo and together) on March 30. We hope you can join us, either in the Wheat Cabin or via the Whole Wheat Radio webcast. Ambience and good cheer will be in plentiful supply.

Quotes about Diane Zeigler :

"With the release of her fourth CD 'December in Vermont", Diane Zeigler is established as an important voice in acoustic music. The winner of six national songwriting awards, Diane is also a skilled performer with a quick laugh, and her live shows offer a full spectrum of entertainment and inspired musicianship. She combines a crystalline vocal style with distinctive open-tuning guitar work, crafting songs that have earned her respect among songwriters and critics as 'one of the most talented singer-songwriters New England has produced.'" (The Music Matters)

"Diane Zeigler doesn't just write songs. She breathes life into them and then puts you right in the middle. How does she do this? To start, Diane's slightly smoky soprano voice conveys strength yet is never forceful. It's always just right....Lyrics are sometimes hard-hitting and brutally honest but always couched in tenderness and quiet strength." (IndieMusic.com)

Quotes about Brooks Williams:

"Williams plays with the precision of a classically trained musician and the soul of a barroom brawler." (The Enterprise)

"If Williams' guitar picking gets any sharper, we'll have to create new adjectives." (The Boston Globe)