Music
Love him or hate him, it’s probably safe to say at some point you have found yourself confounded by Keller Williams.
It’s not just that he’s a multi-instrumentalist and versatile singer/songwriter. It’s also not just the fact that he thinks outside the box or he’s taken the road less traveled or even that he’s marching to the beat of his own drum (loop). It’s more that Williams seems to be afflicted with some kind of musical ADHD, which can see him embodying his persona as “one-man jam band” one minute, transforming himself into a bluegrass musician the next, or choosing to focus on just playing bass the next.
Over the years, many have wondered how Williams has been able to maintain such a high level of musical autonomy, seemingly free to follow his artistic whims wherever they take him. It’s the kind of unfettered free will many musicians would love to enjoy, but somehow the demands of fans, record labels and other outside forces won’t allow it.
So how does Williams get away with it?
Simply put: He doesn’t listen to those outside forces. Instead, he charts his own musical destiny, and follows a muse of his own making. So, if the prolific artist wants to record with Bela Fleck, he makes it happen. If he’s interested in writing songs for kids, he does. When he wanted to record an album that would be a mashup of reggae, dub, funk and jazz—the one where the only instrument he’d play would be bass—he did that too. And, after all that, if he’s got a bluegrass itch that needs to be scratched again, his hesitation to do so is nonexistent.
Given the sporadic nature of his artistic output and the fact that he’s not shy when it comes to putting out albums, alienating fans would be a real possibility for just about anyone. But, as he’s proven time and again, Williams isn’t exactly anyone. He’s a good enough musician with a strong enough sensibility for what will resonate with his audiences that where he goes on his musical journey, his fans will follow. Music produces its fair share of pied pipers, but few roam with the abandon of Keller Williams.
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