Sillage by Jo Williams

Jo Williams hails from the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. He has evolved his own style of interpreting melodies on a steel-string acoustic guitar that goes beyond traditional harmony towards deep emotional and spiritual states.

He is aware of Bert Jansch as something of a predecessor, though one might hear Davey Graham in some passages or John Fahey in both the sense of contemplation and space of these performances, and Williams' use of found and composed soundscapes.

The repertoire itself is a combination of original pieces, a couple of arrangements of traditional tunes (Williams' 'Black Is The Colour' is a revelation and worthy of standing tall with versions by superlative improvisers Patty Waters and Nina Simone), and arrangements of pieces by Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738).

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this album is its consistency of tone through material of varying origins. The combination of Williams' distinctive harmonic palette and his deft touch with found sound herald a significant new voice that brings together improvisation, folk traditions, and the recording studio as collaborator.