This is Yasmin Williams, a brilliant young American guitarist from North Virginia. We watched her play a few days ago and were mesmerised with the beauty of her music.
Yasmin's compositions are calming, almost gamelan in their haunting precision. The description 'guitarist' does not do her justice. Whilst her finger-picking is exemplary she explores the deeper dynamic textures of her instrument.
Yasmin lays the guitar on her lap, taps the fret-board to coax out ringing notes, plays it like a dulcimer with a small mallet, takes a bow to the strings and tapes a kalimba (a type of thumb-piano) to the body . At the same time she punctuates the music with percussive accompaniments tapped out on a kick-board at her feet.
It was a performance not to be forgotten and unlike anything we had ever seen before.
Her second album, 'Urban Driftwood' was released last year. I was very fortunate indeed to buy it on CD, having been out of stock in the UK for several months. You can listen to it on Spotify or check out her performances on YouTube, of which this is one. Take a listen. You won't be disappointed!
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The lights dim, Yasmin waves as she leaves the stage and the ghostly sounds of her guitar echo into the hot night-air. What an experience!
