Q&A: Ben Williams
WITH A SMOOTH VOICE YET A POWERFUL ENERGY - Ben Williams has a presence difficult to ignore. The DC-based artist highlights his musical talents as well as sociopolitical topics with his album I AM A MAN, released Feb. 7th. Given his Grammy awarding winning status, it’s of little surprise to find the quality and strength that I AM A MAN radiates. Read below to learn more about Williams’ influences for the album, the value of using his platform to speak up and more.
LUNA: I AM A MAN has a really powerful energy behind it - how did you decide to tie in a political aspect to the title?
WILLIAMS: It was my intention even from the very beginning to address social issues with this project. The first of the songs (that would eventually end up on the album) were written as part of program I presented at the Congressional Black Caucus Jazz concert in 2017 I call "The Protest Anthology." I've always made it a point to address social topics through my music, but I wanted that to be the central focus with this project. However, I wanted to approach it a different way; I didn't want this to be a "protest" record in the sense that it was coming from a place of anger and opposition. I wanted to deal more with humanity of the Black American male and give people a glimpse into our minds and spirits and how we process our existence in this world. I was inspired specifically by the "I Am a Man" title from watching the Ava Duvernay documentary "13th" (at the end of the film, there was a montage that included one of the iconic photos from the Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike). I thought the phrase summed up the sentiment and idea perfectly.
LUNA: Why is it important for you to use your platform to talk about social/political issues?
WILLIAMS: I believe the arts, especially music, is the greatest vehicle for affecting change. We have a way of reaching people and touching souls in a way that even politicians can't achieve. Virtually every human being on this planet has some type of connection to music and I have always felt it is one of the things that truly binds us (humans) together. That being said, I think using music as a vehicle to deliver important social/political messages can be so powerful. Most of my musical heroes used their platform to do so, artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Felt Kuti, Prince, Nina Simone, Max Roach, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, etc. I believe to achieve artistic greatness, one must have a great deal of empathy, so it is only natural to be greatly affected by the surrounding world.
LUNA: Who are some influences, both musical and non musical, that shaped the album?
WILLIAMS: Many of the artists mentioned above, but Marvin Gaye was especially integral to the feeling of the album. He has always been one of my greatest influences musically, but what really resonated with me (in regards to this project) was his ability to address the total human experience. As I mentioned before I didn't want this album to be a "protest" record; Marvin is one of the greatest examples of an artist that could talk about war, love for a woman, his brother, and the world, and fit them all under one musical roof. Even we he addressed sociopolitical topics, they were always wrapped in romanticism and humanity. Non-musically speaking, I would say Martin Luther King also has a strong presence in this album. He is inherently tied to "I Am a Man," being that it was his last mission right before he was assassinated in Memphis. The track on the album "Promised Land" is in dedication to him and is actually inspired by his last speech to the workers in Memphis (the night before he was assassinated).
LUNA: Who have you been listening to lately?
WILLIAMS: A lot of music! A lot of Meshell Ndgeocello, Parliament Funkadelic, Prince, Anderson Paak, Emily King, and of lot of underground artists the engineer/co-founder of Rainbow Blonde, Brian Bender hipped me to during our studio sessions!
LUNA: What are some of the key sonic elements to your sound?
WILLIAMS: I feel this album truly represents not only my influences musically, but sonically as well. It was very important for me to make a sonic statement with this album. Brian Bender is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant engineers/producers in the game today. We both have very eclectic tastes and were we able to tap into a lot of different wells of inspiration, while creating something new and fresh at the same time. There are a lot influences that are pretty clear, such as Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Parliament, Prince, J Dilla, etc. Quite frankly, we took a lot of chances in the studio. I very much live (musically) in a grey area; it's never completely "this" or "that." Keeping that approach totally freed us creatively (and sonically) and allowed us to create without any regard to genre per se; for us it was all about honesty.
LUNA: How have you seen your music evolve with I AM A MAN? How would you like to see it evolve more?
WILLIAMS: This album is definitely a huge evolution for me as an artist. It represents me in a way that I have never completely expressed before; not only as a bassist and composer, but as a singer, songwriter, and producer as well. I definitely plan to explore more aspects of my artistry and continue to redefine myself. The perception that I have of myself as an artist will continue to expand and I am excited to see where this journey will take me.
LUNA: Which is your favorite track from the project?
WILLIAMS: Hard to pick just one as they are all my "musical babies" and are near and dear to me, but I'd have to say "Promised Land." I think we (me and Brian Bender) really achieved something special sonically and conceptually. There are so many layers and influences involved in that track as well; inspired by MLK, visions of the future, the harmonic openness of John Coltrane, and the celebratory funk of Parliament.
LUNA: What do you want people to know about this album?
WILLIAMS: I want people to understand that beyond the sociopolitical layer of this album, and its core its about the celebration of humanity. It was a very therapeutic experience writing these songs because I was able to express a lot of feeling and thoughts that I know a lot of folks like me have. It is my hope that it will help to bring some healing to those who have similar experience and bring awareness to those who don't. Though the phrase "I Am a Man" is a response to a certain condition from a specific group of people, I feel there is something very universal in the message. It is way of saying "I'm going to tell you (and the whole world) who I AM, rather than the world telling me who I AM." It is the ultimate message of standing in one's truth.
LUNA: With the release of I AM A MAN you’re kicking off 2020 with a great start. What would you like 2020 to bring you?
WILLIAMS: I would love to see this project essentially expand into a campaign. Besides performing the music and sharing it with people across the globe, I would like to see it enter into various artistic spaces (film, theater, exhibits, etc). There is much potential in the idea of this project so the sky is the limit!
