Jorell Williams in Recital

It’s hard to keep up with all the new material Seattle Opera is releasing these days, but it’s a good kind of trouble to have. Most recently, I watched Jorell Williams in recital – can you say “at Seattle Opera” when the recital was actually filmed in Toronto? Let’s say Jorell Williams in recital for Seattle Opera. Williams followed the now-familiar format of introductions against a neutral backdrop and songs performed on-stage with a pianist. But the format was the only unsurprising part of the recital.

Jorell Williams

The first time I know of Jorell Williams appearing in Seattle was in the “off-venue” opera The Falling and the Rising, which I missed. But I did see him as Dizzie Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, the last live opera performance Seattle hosted before the pandemic stay-at-home order. In Yardbird, his baritone was a welcome break from the high-voices, and I wished for more of it. And in a rare case getting what you want in 2020, now Williams is back with his own virtual recital for Seattle Opera.

Jorell Williams in Recital

Williams has a wonderful voice, deep and resonant but still expressive, and as I discovered from his recital, stylistically versatile. The big surprise of this program was that there wasn’t really any opera in it. Notably, Williams’ last appearance on Barihunks was in a post on the Brooklyn Art Song Society, and based on his choices for the recital, it would seem like that’s a musical place he likes to play. And although his personality seemed kind of low key in his introductions, he definitely likes to have fun on stage.

Like Marcy Stonikas, he seems to have an affinity for the 1920’s and 30’s. That is actually not my favorite era in music, or even among my favorites. But a good writer knows the execution is more important than the premise, and a good performance can make music appealing that might normally annoy. Williams started out with a collection of traditional songs that really seemed aimed at kids. Williams hammed up the delivery with little dances and funny faces.

From there he sang some more serious songs switching between a more operatic style and a gospel/folk sound before switching again to a cabaret song that was decidedly less kid-friendly. He wrapped up the official set with “Moon River” which just about made me cry. But the actual last song was “Oh Freedom,” which he dedicated to the victims of police violence and the pandemic first responders, which actually did make me cry.

The performance covered a lot of ground, bouncing from a silly good time to  genuinely touching in just 32 minutes. I have a lot of favorite baritones already, but there’s still room for Jorell Williams on the list.

The Details

Jorell Williams in Recital
Available Oct. 23–Nov. 13
Pianist Rachael Kerr 
Free on YouTube (and below)

{This performance is available free to all. I purchased a Seattle Opera Fall Season subscription for full access to digital content generated during the pandemic.}