Lori Williams: Here We Are

Vocalist Lori Williams has the kind of voice that good singers are made of. With a sound that was honed over years of study and early days in the church, Williams sings with a depth of feeling that reflects both her technical command and her spiritual grounding. When she sings, there is no question about what she is singing and what she is trying to convey. Her words are clear; her message is crisp; her tone is warm; and her vocals feel effortless. On her project titled Here We Are, Williams pairs up with a quintet of musicians out of Austria for what can be described as a beautiful family affair. Despite their obvious racial and geographic differences, these musicians exist sonically as one.

What Williams has created alongside Bernhard Wiesinger (sax and flute), Renato Chicco (piano), Christian Havel (guitar), Doug Weiss (bass), and Joris Dudli (drums) is collaboration at its finest. Williams does not sing over the band, and they, in turn, do not just play behind her. Instead, they build together, each musician executing their part with a natural ease and flow that feels organic and deeply connected. That shared musical understanding shines most vividly on several tracks that capture the heart of Here We Are.

With original lyrics provided by Williams on most of the original songs (Francesca Leone provided the lyrics for "Ronco"), and the quintet contributing the music, the result is a collection that feels both personal and cohesive, blending lyrical sincerity with rich, dynamic instrumentation.

One listen to the group's performance of "My Romance," a jazz classic written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and it is clear why the song is a regular part of their rotation. Williams's voice is warm and elegant, while the arrangement offers Williams just the right amount of space to glide effortlessly over the band's gentle rhythms. Williams's phrasing, coupled with the ensemble's interplay, set the tone for what follows.

On the album's title track, "Here We Are," Williams and the quintet keep that warm and elegant feeling alive while also creating a piece that feels expansive. Williams delivers her most heartfelt vocal performance of the album here while the band gives her room to soar, and soar she does. Chicco delivers a brief "church" infused piano intro while Havel and Weiss also contribute beautiful solos on guitar and sax, respectively. It's simply a beautifully performed ballad.

"Elisabeth," a song Havel wrote for his wife, has a nice and bouncy Latin vibe. Whether by design or happy coincidence, the song paints a vivid portrait of a woman who is engaging, thoughtful, radiant, and with a smile that lights up a room. You hear it in the sing-songy way Williams approaches the lyrics and in the way Havel chimes in with his ad-libs like a man who needs to be seen by a woman. Elisabeth is a lovely song for a lovely woman.

"Brazilian Nature" is another track with an obvious Latin feel, albeit with a slower tempo. The music offers a deliberate yet groovy rhythm, thanks to Weiss, Chicco, and Dudli, as well as the beautiful flute solo by Wiesinger. Williams's vocal treatment of the lyrics is familiar, recalling the elegant riffs of classic R&B balladry from the 1960s Motown era, creating an enchanting contrast.

The recording ends with the band performing a tranquil reimagining of the James Taylor classic "Fire and Rain" that allows listeners to fully take in the spirit of the song's lyrics. Though an unexpected choice for a finale, the performance offers another opportunity to highlight the way Williams and the band move around one another with reverence and genuine partnership.

Here We Are is a stunning work. Williams is a generous leader, and the musicians from Austria are more than just a band on this record. What the two have created here is a dynamic that should be celebrated as much as the creation itself. Together, they have crafted a work that reminds us of music's power to bridge worlds and bring hearts into harmony, transcending boundaries of culture and distance.

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