John Williams - The Ultimate Guitar Collection (2004)

Biography

Born in Melbourne, Australia to an English father (Len Williams) and an Australian-Chinese mother, Williams was taught initially by his father. At the age of twelve he went to Italy to study under "The Maestro", Andrés Segovia. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano because the school did not have a guitar department at the time. Upon graduation, he was offered the opportunity to create such a department. Being such a lover of the instrument, he seized the opportunity and ran it for the first two years. Williams has maintained links with the College (and with the Northern College in Manchester) ever since.

Williams is best known as a classical guitarist, but has explored many different musical traditions. He has collaborated with Julian Bream and Paco Peña and was a member of the fusion group Sky. He is also a composer and arranger.

Williams has commissioned guitar concertos from composers such as Stephen Dodgson, André Previn, Patrick Gowers, Richard Harvey and Steve Gray. He has also worked with composers from his native Australia, including Phillip Houghton, Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards (composer) and Nigel Westlake, to produce guitar works that capture the spirit of his homeland.

He enjoyed a worldwide hit single with his recording of Cavatina by Stanley Myers, used as the theme tune to the Oscar-winning film The Deer Hunter (1979). The piece had originally been written for piano, for another film ten years earlier, The Walking Stick (1970) but re-written for guitar and expanded by Myers at Williams' invitation. In 1973, Cleo Laine wrote lyrics and recorded the song "He Was Beautiful" accompanied by John Williams. A year later, it was a top 5 UK hit single for Iris Williams (no relation).

At the invitation of producer Martin Lewis he created a highly acclaimed classical-rock fusion duet with celebrated rock guitarist Pete Townshend of Townshend's anthemic Won't Get Fooled Again for the 1979 Amnesty International benefit show The Secret Policeman's Ball. The duet was featured on the resulting album and the film version of the show - bringing Williams to the broader attention of the rock audience.

The relationship with Lewis led to Williams' classical-rock fusion band Sky being invited to give the first-ever rock concert to be held at Westminster Abbey - a benefit concert for Amnesty that Lewis produced in February 1981.

He is visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Titles on Disc 1

1. Asturias
2. Cavantina From The Deer Hunter
3. Prelude From Suite For Lute No 4 In E Major
4. Triangular Situations
5. Recuerdos De La Alhambra
6. Romance
7. Dance From La Vida Breve
8. Sonata In E Major
9. Como Llora Una Estrella
10. Mission
11. El Colibri
12. Gymnopedie No 3
13. Courante
14. La Catedral
15. El Condor Pasa
16. Salut D'Amor
17. Malinke
18. Concerto For Lute Two Violins And Bassp Contonuo In D Major
19. Entertainer

Titles on Disc 2

1. Concierto De Aranjuez For Guitar And Orchestra
2. El Diablo Suelto
3. Preludio En Do Menor
4. No 3 Sevilla From Suite Espanola
5. Gnossienne No 1
6. Cueca
7. Schindler's List
8. Lute Suite No 4 In E Major
9. Nkosi Sikelel I Afrika
10. Pavane For Guitar And String Orchestra
11. Trio For Violin Lute And Basso Continuo In C
12. Sunburst
13. Godfather
14. Scherzino Mexicano
15. Aeolian Suite
16. Spanish Guitar Blues
17. Blues For Felix
18. Swing 59
19. La Huida De Los Amantes Por El Valle De Los Ecos
20. Una Limosna Por El Amor De Dios
21. Saltarello
22. Torre Bermeja


Monkey Audio links:
CD 01 (312 Mb)
access folder pass: Williams

CD 02 (305 Mb)
access folder pass: Williams

pass for RAR: ~BuRjUi~



mp3 VBR HQ links:
CD 01 & CD 02 (179 Mb)
access folder pass: Williams

pass for RAR: ~BuRjUi~


Separately covers: (10 Mb)
pass for RAR: ~BuRjUi~

3% recovery record