SUPER SMART FUNK Moving bodies while stimulating minds — that's the mission. And FLY WILLIAMS is doing it at a blistering pace with headline slots at venerable Chicago outlets like Green Dolphin Street and Martyr's.
The FLY WILLIAMS sound is a contemporary funk with its edges blurred by jazz, rock and Latin flavors. It is a sophisticated, oily, funky groove — Super Funk Oil. The aforementioned Jamiroquai can be heard in the music, as can Steely Dan, Earth Wind & Fire, The Meters and Living Color.
Subject matter ranges from mythical Greek figures ("Where In The World") to leaders' verbal fight for social equality ("Somebody Got Hit"). "Gotta pick quick / Pick a quick six / Only protection is a podium that's this thick." And, of course, there are songs about love — both mutual ("I Give") and unrequited ("Tula").
FLY WILLIAMS uses varied harmonic colorizations and the vocals range from the soothing to the soaring. And the band's line-up creates a few contrasts in individuality: between Mark Sabatino's fusion guitar and Jake Daab's jazzy keys; between the street-sweaty bass of Michael Lee and the driving drum grooves of Brett Holland. Thad Franklin's trumpet and Eric Koppa's tenor sax provide the harmonious "pop" that gives FW its shiny coat.
The band took the name FLY WILLIAMS after one of the most outlandish players in the old American Basketball Association of the '70s — James "Fly" Williams. A New York City street-ball legend, Fly was known as much for his game-time antics as he was his scoring prowess. There's a well-documented love-triangle between funk, jazz and basketball: each characterized by unpredictability, freedom of expression and a dose of rebellion.
For more information, visit their website: http://www.fly-williams.com
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