photographer, Trevon Blondet
The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents Cole Williams Band for a virtual concert on Tuesday at 5 pm CDT.
Described as having “the heart of Bob Marley, soul of Sam Cooke and grit of Etta James”, The Cole Williams Band has rooted their sound in the tradition of Gil Scott-Heron, creating songs that reflect the everyday experiences and hopes of unhoused and poor people all around the world.
Lead singer, Cole Williams, is a force of nature. Equal parts musician, record producer, radio DJ, singer/songwriter, and organizer, Williams is constantly reimagining herself and redefining what it means to be an empowered Jamaican American woman by building a brand that is confident and accessible. From her musical beginnings in Brooklyn, to a myriad of creative pursuits in her home base of New Orleans, Williams is as diverse an artist as any in the entertainment industry, with passions that are only exceeded by her unparalleled ambition.
Music has always come first for Williams. This powerhouse got her start in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. She attended Brooklyn Technical High School (known for its Nobel Laureate alumni, as well as Mos Def and Talib Kweli) and majored in psychology before studying classical voice at New Jersey City University. This rich background coupled with Cole’s foundation in classical piano, a church upbringing, and childhood love affair with her parents’ record collection provided her with the foundation to eventually broaden her artistic horizon.
As a vocalist, Williams’ style is a true treasure. With classic soul as her vocal canvas, Cole’s ability truly shines when she’s breaking genre conventions and opting for a diverse and wholly original vocal landscape—one that melds all the colors of soul, rock, R&B, reggae, and blues. Over the course of her career, Cole has provided vocals and percussion for Joey Bada$$ (“Curry Chicken”), Chiddy Bang (“Ray Charles), Beats By The Pound, Aloe Blacc, DJ Nickodemus, Little Jackie, Diane Birch, Somi, Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam, Kaissa, Dana Fuchs, Pimps Of Joytime, original lead singer of People’s Champs, and commercial/tv recordings for CoverGirl, JCPenney, Suave, Smash, and Khloe and Kourtney Take Miami.
William's vocal performances have been featured on television shows as prominent as Conan, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, The Wendy Williams Show, The Jools Holland Show, The Craig Ferguson Show, WWL4 Morning Show, Live With Kelly & Michael, 90210, and The Today Show, and featured in publications as Huffington Post, Glide Magazine, Wax Poetics, NME, AfroPunk, Offbeat Magazine, and New Orleans Magazine. Cole’s most recent collaboration with Nickodemus and Kiko Navaro was called a “thrilling tribute to Nina Simone” by Rolling Stone Magazine as a “song you wanna know”, has appeared on NCIS New Orleans, and been nominated for Best Female Vocalist by Offbeat Magazine.
The Cole Williams Band live performance highlights include The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival, French Quarter Festival, Blue Note NYC, BAM Cafe Live, Rockwood Music Hall, The Mint, Martyr’s, Tipitina's World Cafe Live, Prime Example, House Of Blues, and Cervantes. They have opened for Lauryn Hill, Emily King, Ozomatli, The Wild Magnolias, and Corey Henry and Treme Funktet.
"Life is a stage," says Cole Williams, and as stages go, one must wonder if there will ever be one big enough to hold the myriad talents and creative appetite of a true artist like Williams. With each new creative endeavor under her belt, Williams further cements herself as a vanguard of faith, love, art, and community.
In case of inclement weather, this concert will be postponed.
Enjoy music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for their weekly Courtyard Live-stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum’s balcony! Tune in every Tuesday at 5 pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.