Cast
John Williams — Guitarist
Program notes
Inspired by master guitarist Andrés Segovia, whose revolutionary technique made the impossible seem achievable, jazz musician Len Williams began teaching his son John how to play classical guitar at a very young age. After studying with Segovia, John Williams would grow into an artist of staggering technical ability—a technician, indeed, to rival Segovia himself!
This documentary by Christopher Nupen features revealing interviews with Williams, a glimpse into his collaborative process with composers Stephen Dodgson and Patrick Gowers, and a jaw-dropping 1971 concert from Ronnie Scott’s, the legendary Soho jazz club. Williams, who chafes at the rigidity of the classical milieu, has made his career breaking down boundaries between classical music and other genres: he has worked consistently with jazz musicians and rock stars, like Pete Townshend of the Who, and even achieved Top 20 chart success with Stanley Myers’s “Cavatina,” the theme of The Deer Hunter.
