By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Back in 2016, some friends from church asked saxophonist Mike Williams for a recording of is work.
So come the holidays he gifted them, and other fans with a streamed recording on Band Camp, called “15 Minutes of Christmas,” a laidback soulful effort. That 15 minutes has now grown into a fourth edition CD, clocking in at over an hour, and a nine-date tour that will take him from Detroit to his hometown of Cincinnati.
[RELATED: Mike Williams & his sax bring joy to the world for Christmas]
The series of shows kicks off in another place he calls home, Toledo, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 7-9 p.m. in the hall at One Seagate Center (the Fifth Third Building). Click for tickets.
The show will feature to of the guests artists on the newly released “15 Minutes of Christmas Deluxe Edition.”
On hand will be Ramona Collins, Toledo’s Godmother of Jazz, and vocalist Nate Hicks.
On the CD Collins delivers “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Those angels doing some jazz scatting. Hicks performs “Oh Holy Night” in a clear high tenor. Local favorite Nikki D appears with her group The Browns perform “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”
The show will serve as a the release party for “15 Minutes of Music: Deluxe Edition.” The session is a mix of new materials, and re-edits of the songs from the previous three “15 Minutes.”
The new material includes “Lazy Wintry Days,” an original by keyboardist John Cunningham.
Williams wants the recording to be true to the various emotions evoked by the season. “We want to touch you so you’re move a little bit,” he said. “And I want to bring back those childhood memories.”
Last year a fan told him how hard the holiday season can be for some, especially those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
“I wanted to create a soundtrack that can be comforting in those situations,” he said. “I wanted to create something to get you back to where you want to be.”
Williams said during a hard day he’ll put the CD on and it gives him the emotional lift he needs.
The folks in Toledo, both in his church where he plays for services and in the music community, have been supportive of his efforts . Williams has played everywhere from the Fifth Third Field to the Toledo Museum of Art.
“There’s something about the way the Glass City likes to party,” Williams said. They’re ready to let loose on a Thursday night, and hang around for the after party.
“They don’t mind if you turn the volume up a little bit.”
Toledo also has a strong jazz tradition, including musicians raised there, those who have moved there, or those who are passing through. Collins and other elders have welcomed Williams to the scene.
The tour includes a community concert in Bowling Green where Williams lives and serves as the unofficial ceremonial saxophonist, playing the National Anthem at Falcons sports and lending his sound to various community events such as the dedication of the Wooster Green and the historical plaques downtown and the Juneteenth celebration.
Williams along with Julie’s Dance Studio and Grounds for Thought will host a “Holiday Experience” on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Star Style Theater in the Woodland Mall, 1234 N. Main St. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for a mixer featuring music by Tim Concannon. Admission is free with the donation of a canned good.
Also performing on the concert will be Tom Gorman and Friends and It’s Somewhat Humanoid.
“Bowling Green,” Williams said, “is laid back and very relaxed. … If you mess up they’ll embrace you anyways and give you hugs and kisses.”
Other shows on the tour will be a mix highlighting the venues he’s played since he started out his career.
He’ll perform at the Ohio State-Rutgers game this Saturday. At noon he’ll perform in the concourse before tip off, then play the National Anthem, and conclude with the halftime show accompanying the cheer and dance teams.
That evening he’ll play at the Hillside Wine Shoppe in Gilboa.
He’ll play the Snowflake Serenade at the Rossford Library on Dec. 18.
Click for details and ticket information on all the shows.
While using recorded tracks for most gigs, he’s bringing a full band to Detroit on Wednesday Dec. 11 at Aretha’s Jazz Cafe and Cleveland Heights on Friday, Dec. 20 at the CLE Urban Winery. His band will feature Cunningham on keyboards, John Dwyer, guitar, Lewis “Uncle Lewie” Simpson, bass, and Scotty Burns, drums.
Williams will wind up in Cincinnati where he grew up.
For his Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. show at the Williams Frances Theatre, he’ll be joined by his musical mentor Ed “Sax” Thomas and his quintet with Greg Lee, drums, Dwight Richardson, piano, Stephen Richardson, bass, and Gideon Watson, guitar.
Williams said he’s been wanting to arrange a Cincinnati show for years. “We’ll have a good time.”
A 2013 BGSU graduate, Williams worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car before going full time as a musician in 2018. When the pandemic set in, he enrolled in BGSU’s online MBA program. He thought he knew what he was doing, but what he learned helped him up his business game.
Williams said the professors and fellow students understood that being a musician was serious business.
He especially benefited from the marketing lessons from Greg Rich, who is also an avocational musician. Williams lends his sound to Rich’s CD “The 4 P’s of Marketing.”
Starting out, it wasn’t always easy to convince venues to take a chance on him, Williams said.
That was on his mind last year when he launched the “15 Minutes of Christmas” tour in Toledo. Early in his set playing one of his childhood favorites “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” he teared up. He looked into the crowd as he crooned the melody. Every seat was filled. “I actually cried.”
He said he expects there’ll be emotional moments during this tour as well, though he’ll try to keep them towards the end of the concert.
“I know the grand finale to BG show might get emotional,” Williams said. Asked what song that would be, he laughed. “You’ll have to come out and see.”
