By Eddie Dubinsky

When Keller Williams was earning his degree in Theater at Virginia Wesleyn, he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to use those skills to his advantage. He never acted in a major motion picture or made it on Broadway, but now 8 CD's later in to his music career, Williams's training does come in handy.
Hooking up on his cell phone right before sound check, Keller was stringing and tuning his guitar. It was his 6th show in 6 days in 6 different cities.

SPLASH: You're from around this way, aren't you; at least you've spent sometime in Virginia Beach?
KW: Yeah, I was in college down there from '88 ? '91 at Virginia Wesleyn college, and stayed around there, oh, for a year or so afterwards. And I was doing like every Tues. and every Wed. done there for the summers of something like '94/'95, and then did a bunch of shows done there '96, '97, '98.

SPLASH: Where are you at now? What's the 303 area code?
KW: 303 is actually my cell phone, which is out of Colorado (location of Madison House, his publicity), but I live in Fredericksburg, VA, and right now I'm currently in Minneapolis.

SPLASH: You giggin' tonight?
KW: Yeah, I'm at the club right now.

SPLASH: Do you take your own crew with you?
KW: Yeah, there's a group of 5 of us that travels together.

SPLASH: What do you ask of your soundman? What do you expect of him each night?
KW: (confused) What do I ask of my soundman?

SPLASH: Yeah. Do you have any particular quirks or anything?
KW: Well, my soundman wears many hats.

SPLASH: Ah, huh.
KW: He's my tour manager, and he lines up all the hotels, and advances all the shows, and the load ins, and everything like that.

SPLASH: Ah, huh.
KW: He also is the front-of-house engineer, ya know, he mixers and drives the train.

SPLASH: Ah, huh. (laughing)
KW: And does the mixing. He is also a harmony vocalist. Sings from behind the sound board.

SPLASH: Damn.
KW: Most...(waiting to continue for laughter)...most (pause). Most recently, he started taking trumpet solos.

SPLASH: Are you...you're kidding me, right?
KW: No, I'm 100 percent serious, and I hit him with a deer spot from stage.

SPLASH: So everybody has to multi-task then, like you. You do the same thing both on stage and on your new CD? You played all of the instruments on the CD, right?
KW: Right. (no answer, guitar in the background going "twaaaang, twaang, twang") Right, right. And, I do a live phrase sampling thing, which is I record something in front of the audience and play it back right there, and then I layer stuff on top of it; its called phrase sampling, or looping.

SPLASH: So that's "fray sampling"? F.R.A.Y.?
KW: No, P.H.R.A.S.E.

SPLASH: Ah. (realizing that I was being a dumbass) Oh! Phrase. IÕm sorry.
KW: So nothing is pre-recorded. Everything is done live in front of the audience.

SPLASH: Oh, that's nice, man. So, we can expect that at the Norfolk show?
KW: Yeah.

SPLASH: Was all of the CD recorded in Fredericksburg. There are some Fredericksburg credits.
KW: Yeah, the album was recorded just a short drive from my house in Fredericksburg.

SPLASH: Our magazine is geared towards musicians, and we at times try to get technical. And, you have a very technical style. Where did you pick up your style? And, I don't have many more questions for you because I don't want to hold you up; I know you're trying to do your thing.
KW: No problem at all, no problem at all. There's been all kinds of influences; I'm a 100% music lover. So, I listen to all different kinds of music. Ah, (low E getting in tune, contrasted with a way out of tune bottom E being brought into tune) I guess one of the biggest influences was Michael Hedges, as well as, Leo Codkey, and Jerry Garcia, Bobby McFerren, and Victor Wooten, all different kinds of folks that I draw inspiration from.

SPLASH : And you have an interesting technique. Is it hammer-on, or how do you create the trills that we hear?
KW: Yeah, there's some hammer on stuff, but it's not primarily hammer-on stuff like Stanley Jordan or anything like that, but there's definitely some triplets (or whatever you call it) that's coming from a quick right hand and a quick left hand hammer-on thing. (B string being plucked and tuned)

SPLASH: Did you study music in school, or are you self taught because it is such an original style.
KW: Ah, thank you. (other strings falling into line with the bass strings) No, I never studied or learned to read music, and you have to read music in order to be accepted into a music school. No, my major was Theater in college.

SPLASH: So, you're a thespian then.
KW: A what?

SPLASH: (laughing) A thespian. I know I have to watch what I say.
KW: Yep. That's what I am.

SPLASH: Do you use any of those skills on stage.
KW: I think so, yeah. I definitely do a lot of plays, ya know. And I definitely learned how cover up mistakes in the theater, so I definitely use that a lot. (smirking)

SPLASH: One of the last questions that I have for you is...well...this is your third CD release?
KW: No, actually itÕs my eighth CD.

SPLASH: Oh, I'm sorry, man. (nervous laughter)
KW: That's alright. There's only a handful that are actually on a label, but, yeah, this is the third studio record that I've done with a label. But, it's eight total.

SPLASH: Over those eight CD's this what do you think is the most important lesson that you've learned over that time?
KW: I think that making a CD is like making a painting. I'm kinda catching a moment in time with a recording and this is how I sound at a particular time. Kinda like a period piece with a painting. So the more I listen to the older stuff, I think, "Wow, that's what I sounded like then, and it's changed and progressed, and it's different know." So, it's definatley like a period piece.

SPLASH: Right, I know with my writing when I read some of my older stuff, I'm like, "Man, what the hell was wrong with me?"
KW: (laughing) Yeah, that's a lot of my reaction too when I listen to the old stuff. I think, "How on earth did I let that go?"

SPLASH: So, you feel like there is that progession then?
KW: Yeah, I do.

SPLASH: One last question and I'll get out of your hair.
KW: No, no problem at all.

SPLASH: As far as touring, it's been a constant thing with you now. Supporting the last...um...was it the last 3 that have been studio releases then?
KW: Ah, the last 4 have been studio, I think. I did a live record called LOOP that came out in 2000, and LAUGH came out in 2002, I think...

SPLASH: Right, I have that one.
KW: Okay, yeah, it's been the last couple, and I did like a DJ remix of LAUGH and that kinda counts. So, then, the last 3 have been studio.

SPLASH: So, how do you feel about touring then? What has the touring experience like?
KW: For me, from April to Sept. we pretty much just flew out on the weekends, and I played every single weekend and lived a normal life at home. So, that was great because I able to do a lot of studio work and go and work on the weekends. Now, we're in the middle of a 5 week tour in which we're diving right now and constantly playing, six nights in a row. Ya know, it's a little bit different and you get into more of a flow when you're playing multiple nights in a row, and it is definitely a part of me and what I live for. And there's a release that I can achieve on stage from all this crazy music inside of me.

SPLASH: Does it get monotonous for you at all?
KW: There's many things that I do to try to help it NOT become monotonous, and that is constantly changing the repertoire every night. Not playing the same songs every night is really the only way that I can make so it's not monotonous. So, I focus on not playing the same songs 2 nights in a row.

SPLASH: Is there some improv to help alleviate monotony?
KW: Yes, there's a lot of improv and places that I can go and let myself go for setting up some spontaneous loop, and then going from there and making it up as I go along. A lot of what I do is that, as far as the jammin' stuff.

SPLASH: I'm sure that helps break the monotony too.
KW: I think so.

SPLASH: Well, hey, Keller, I do appreciate your time, and ah...
KW: My pleasure, thanks for the press.

SPLASH: No problem. I look forward to you coming to Norfolk.
KW: Alright, I'll be there.

SPLASH: Cool. (laughing) Take care.
KW: You too.

SPLASH & KW: Good bye.