Brenda Williams is a well seasoned jazz singer from Indianapolis, Indiana. In February, she debuted at Sam’s Table for a sold out show with “The Nearness of You.” To accommodate more guests this round, she is returning for two performances at 7 p.
m. Saturday, Sept. 28, and 4 p.
m. Sunday, Sept. 29.
The seated dinner includes a carpaccio of root vegetables with fresh tomatoes and herbs as a starter, followed by smoked salmon with dill and capers. The entree is a choice of grilled Mahi Mahi or a New York Strip, both with roasted potatoes, and fresh seasonal fruit with mint, basil, and homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. Williams is bringing her magical musical mojo, along with her all star bass player Bill Meyers.
Heavily influenced by the jazz stylings of Eva Marie Cassidy, the show will kick off with “The Golden Hour” set, a musical metaphor for the transitional time just before sunset. She and SHSU Dance Department Costume Designer Barry Doss met and performed together at the American Cabaret Theatre in Indianapolis more than three decades ago. After they reconnected there in recent years, they made a plan to reconvene at her family’s lake house in Conroe.
Williams told Doss she wanted to tap into the artist’s scene in Huntsville. Now they are refining the second presentation of what they hope to become a seasonal affair. “Since Barry and I have known each other for so long, we talk about the music and then I turn it over to him to add his inspiration.
It always turns out better than we imagine, because he allows room for me to improvise,” said Williams. “I have recorded many of these songs at some point in my career, so we both picked our personal favorites,” said Williams. “SHSU pianist Kirk Jimenez will be joining us as musical director and accompanist, and is excited to be working with Brenda again,” said Doss.
With “Teach Me” Tonight” by Amy Winehouse, “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young, and “Fields of Gold” by Sting, Doss encouraged Williams to try something outside of her normal wheelhouse, morphing pop music hits into jazz renditions that will very likely to become future staples in her repertoire. The medleys that feature BB King, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennett offer a well rounded range of artists and generational favorites. The second set is called “Blues in the Night” featuring the title made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, and classics by Billie Holiday.
Williams’ infectiously sweet personality makes any show feel like coming home, into a place where music is a tangible thing you can wrap your arms around and dance with. There’s a dialogue between her and the audience that’s more emotional than spoken. She manages to transport people to another time, as if you were in an old black and white movie, wearing a tuxedo or a ball gown, drinking champagne.
It just feels fine. People are instantly drawn to her in many ways. Her silky voice and timeless beauty are a showstopper.
That’s no secret in Indiana or the Rocky Mountains, where she attended college and was crowned Mrs Montana in 1984. She was out on the town in Billings, singing along to a show when a club manager overheard, and invited her to try out for a show called “Sentimental Journey. “ She nailed the audition and joined their traveling show, leading to a 15 year run with more than 200 performances.
That big break was what honed her voice as she mastered classics from the 30s and 40s. The rest has been a master class in applying blues and jazz to any genre. She spent Labor Day entertaining guests at the Jazz Kitchen, known as the premiere venue for jazz and blues in Indianapolis.
Her most recent show, “Poca Palace: A Cabaret of Sorts,” sold out for a three day run at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, receiving rave reviews about Williams playing herself. “Smokey and the Hot Coals” were the house band for the show, including Meyers on bass. After working closely with Williams for that production, he graciously agreed to step in for this special ensemble.
The events will begin with a cocktail mixer to meet the artist at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3:30 p.
m. on Sunday at Sam’s Table, located at 1115 University Avenue. Dinner service is scheduled for 7 p.
m. and 4 p.m.
with an interlude for dessert and a special finale, inviting guests to stay for “The Nightcap,” featuring “Tennessee Whiskey,” “I’m a Woman, ” and “Ain’t Misbehavin,” with optional cocktail service, coffee, and champagne. Special dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice. Seating is limited to just 52 guests per show.
The cost is $85 per person presale and $95 at the door. Look for the QR code on social media and local print promotions to scan, call the restaurant at 936-439-6376 or visit the new website at samstablehtx.com for reservations.
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