LEFTY WILLIAMS BAND
w/Joe Pitts and Elliot Holden
Friday, July 11
Smith’s Olde Bar
404-875-1522
www.smithsoldebar.com

Blues-rock is about riffs, and Atlanta’s Lefty Williams has ’em. On his sophomore release, the one-handed guitarist—he was born without a right hand and uses a prosthetic device, hence his nickname—brings a jazzy, easygoing vibe to rootsy, Southern-tinged rock. He’s strongly influenced by the usual suspects: the Allman Brothers Band, the Black Crowes, and especially Tinsley Ellis, who guests on a few tracks.

Credit producer John Keane, though, who finds the accurate mix, balancing Lefty’s tunes with sharp guitar solos and quality melodies without sacrificing or overemphasizing either.

Unlike many in his genre, Williams exercises unusual restraint. His leads, such as the snarky wah-wah workout on “Frightened,” never overstay their welcome or disintegrate into unnecessarily jammy territory. That’s due to songs sturdy enough to stand on their own without the need for the extended solos he’s obviously talented enough to pull off.
 
While Williams’ vocals won’t win any awards for distinctiveness, his voice is serviceable and occasionally expressive. It’s rugged when it needs to be, and emotionally compelling on ballads such as “In the Valley.” There are echoes of Lynryd Skynyrd and Widespread Panic, but when the licks kick in as they do on “All Your Way,” the sound is reminiscent of classic mid-’70s blues-rock of the Savoy Brown and Bad Company stripe.
 
What made that music so riveting was a reliance on solid songcraft mixed with trenchant vocals and, of course, great riffs. Williams isn’t quite in their league, yet, but he’s close, and that’s impressive enough. 3 STARS—Hal Horowitz