Andre WilliamsMedia Kit

Hoods And Shades
Release date: February 28, 2012

Andre “Mr. Rhythm” Williams is a perfect study in the mysterious, multi-faceted power of music. Throughout his 50+ year career as a performer, songwriter, and producer he has seen how music can define the individual, how music is widely perceived, how it can alter a soul for better or worse, and now how it can simply be used to describe things you just don’t understand—the overriding theme of this release. On February 28, a year and a half following his last Bloodshot Records full-length album, That’s All I Need, Andre Williams returns with Hoods and Shades, perhaps his most intriguing, feel-oriented, thematically driven effort yet.

As the story goes: during the summer of 2010, Andre was invited to appear at Don Was’ Concert of Colors in Detroit alongside Mavis Staples and a diverse roster of world, classical, and pop/rock acts. Ever the one to seize an opportunity, Andre both brought down the house at the Concert and got together with his “Detroit boys” the next day to record, as he called it, “the Andre Williams folk album.”

Hoods and Shades is the result, nine songs created by music roadmen led by THE music roadman. Making contributions are: renowned Grammy Award-winning producer Don Was on upright bass, Motown legend/Funk Brother Dennis Coffey on acoustic and electric guitars, Dirty Three drummer Jim White, Greasy Carlisi (Robert Gordon, Chris Spedding) and Jim Diamond (Dirtbombs) on electric bass, and longtime producer Matthew Smith (Nathaniel Mayer, Outrageous Cherry, Volebeats). The album plays out like an afternoon hangout among music peers, speaking of experiences through their instruments, dynamic stylings, and overall touch.