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Bet Williams & John Hodian
 Although
there are a lot of musicians performing on different tracks
of the CD album Epiphany Project, the heart of the
group is made up of pianist John Hodian (who is an acclaimed
composer of documentary film soundtracks) and singer-songwriter
Bet Williams (who has previously released six solo albums).
This CD album is categorized as avant-garde folk music, which
means to my listening that there are elements of jazz, blues,
rock, folk and ballads, many with a flavoring of the Celtic
musical traditions.
What makes Epiphany Project stand
out from other similar albums of music is Bet Williams, who
has a four-octave, world-class voice that ranges from sweetly
angelic to tavern husky. A good example of that is the second
track, titled "Lockerbie," which is probably my
personal favorite on the entire album. With a passionately
expressive voice, Williams sings of the airline crash in Lockerbie,
Scotland, while Hodian's Celtic cord changes strike to the
very center of the heart's grieving and loss. The dramatic
chorus which is created by overdubbing Williams' voice in
complex harmonies is so amazingly intense it raises goosebumps
on the back of my arms.
Epiphany Project is one of those
albums where even if they were singing the Hillsborough phonebook,
it would still be an emotionally moving experience.
This album can be ordered from: Epiphany
Records, P.O. Box 272, Woodstock NY 12498.
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