Ben Williams - Creator and Music Director
With Special Guests Kevin Ross, Sy Smith and YahZarah
Prince was a wildly prolific songwriter and master architect of funk, rock, R&B and pop, even as his music defied genres. In this 40th anniversary year of Purple Rain, GRAMMY®-winning bassist Ben Williams pays homage to the musical legacy of Prince by assembling a stellar cast of stars from the worlds of R&B, funk, soul, jazz and classical. Drawing inspiration from his iconic discography, Dearly Beloved - The Music of Prince Reimagined features visuals and narrative that celebrate Prince's virtuosity, diversity and transcendent spirit.
Featuring an 11-piece instrumental ensemble with added vocals, the show features such timeless Prince songs as "Let's Go Crazy," "Sign O' the Times," "1999," "When Doves Cry," "I Would Die 4 U," "Dirty Mind," "If I Was Your Girlfriend," "The Beautiful Ones," "Darling Nikki," "Do Me Baby," and of course, "Purple Rain," among others.
You don't want to miss this program that pays homage to the musical legend, his music and his legacy that continues to inspire generations of creatives!
Ben Williams
Ben Williams is an acclaimed bassist, bandleader, music educator, composer and film actor who has performed with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, David Sanborn, Pat Metheny, Chaka Khan, Pharrell Williams, Robert Glasper, Maxwell, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terence Blanchard and many others. Williams won his first GRAMMY® Award in 2013 with the Pat Metheny Unity Band. A native of Washington, D.C., he has garnered numerous awards, including Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll Rising Star Award for Bass in 2013 and 2015, the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition Award, the 2011 iTunes Breakthrough Artist of the Year in the jazz category, the Michigan State University Alumni Award, as well as being the first recipient of the Jazz Innovator Award by the Congressional Black Caucus. Williams has released three solo albums.
Valet Parking is available for this performance.
