(Drummer Billy Williams (pictured) and his quartet will perform Saturday, September 26 as part of the Phoebus Jazz Festival.
“Then, Billy…Billy is one of my former students, of course, but this young man has grown up to be one of the most sought-after jazz drummers in the world…” said Jae Sinnett, early on in our recent phone chat — referring to jazz drummer and bandleader, Billy Williams, who is one of the headliners of this year’s Phoebus Jazz Festival, which is being presented for the third year by Hampton Roads Jazz Inc., an organization founded by Sinnett. The two-day festival will also feature world-class jazz from the likes of contemporary jazz saxophone legend, Eric Marienthal, vocalist Lori Williams, acclaimed jazz pianist Justin Kauflin, and the return of the popular Latin Jazz Conspiracy, amongst some high-profile others. All performing at The American Theatre in Hampton.
I applauded Sinnett during our convo for continuing to produce a real jazz music festival, where his curation yet again includes acclaimed jazz acts of national prominence, who have some significant VA connection. Both Justin and Billy are millennials from Hampton Roads. The founders of the Latin Jazz Conspiracy ensemble are based here. Jazz singer Lori Williams graduated from Hampton University, and Dr. Weldon Hill, who is also performing this year, is a Richmond native. And then there’s, of course, Sinnett himself, who is long regarded as a legendary jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, of national prominence…with over 20 recordings as a leader to his credit, including his recent release, “Parallel 49,” which he’s calling his final album as a leader. And he’s also still host of the highly popular “Sinnett in Session” jazz radio show on local NPR member station, WHRV…