About Keyan Williams

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Keyan Williams now makes his home in Phoenix, Arizona. Keyan started playing the sax at age 8 and by the age of 16 he was playing Jazz Sax and Classical Flute.

Many fans of his music have said that his style reminds them of Grover Washington, Jr. He is very humbled by their compliments. Grover Washington, Jr. musically influenced Keyan, as did many other jazz artists like: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery and Stanley Clarke.

Keyan says, “Grover Washington Jr. is one of my favorite musicians. He would give you a great show with three hours of non-stop playing. I wanted to keep that kind of drive alive. It’s music with really strong grooves, to get back to what I call the original smooth jazz sound”.

When it comes to live performances, Keyan plays from the heart and you’ll never hear him play a solo the same way twice. Keyan has never been shy to play for crowds. He has been gracing the stage since his very early years, playing at various venues like Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. Keyan has had the honor of sharing the stage with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Junior Cook. These experiences helped make him the performer he is today.

Two highlighted performances; being his performance on ABC 7 Chicago as a featured artist, and November 2007 where he performed the National Anthem for the NBA Chicago Bulls in front of Twenty Five Thousand Bull Fans.

Keyan’s charity of choice is the Arizona chapter of the American Diabetes Association. This charity is close to Keyan’s heart given that he has lost his Grandfather and more recently, a wonderful Aunt to this terrible disease.

Recent Live Performances

Maxwell’s Lounge, Oakland, Ca
The Annex, New York, NY
Ashford and Simpson Sugar Bar, New York, NY
Luke Air-force Base, Luke Air-force, Arizona
Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona
Orozko Lounge/John Ascuagus Nugget Casino Reno, Nevada
Phoenix Flame Basket ball Game, Phoenix, Arizona
News Channel 3 TV, Good Morning Arizona
SunFire African Art Gallery
Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce 9th Annual Golf Tournament, Ocotillo Golf Resort
United Center- Chicago Bulls National Anthem
ABC 7 Chicago Illinois
COMTO ARIZONA Inaugural Scholarship Dinner for Phoenix Mayor

In the media

Featured in ABYSS Jazz Magazine – October 2006
Indie-Music Arist with Indie-Music.com
Fisk University 88.1 FM, Nashville TN – Featured Artist January 18th, 2007
Smooth Jazz Reno 92.1 FM – After Work Concert Featured Artist/Performer April 11th & September 12th 2007
Bay Smooth Jazz Radio, October 8th, 2007
Louie Jones Show, October 11th, 2007
WURD Radio, Philadelphia, PA , January 18th, 2008
Erika Blue Show, Vallejo, California, August 9th, 2008

Terrestrial Radio
88.1 WFSK FM, 99.5 FM WSUR, KCCK FM, WSIE 88.7FM, KJZS 92.1 FM, WHCR 90.3FM, KUNV 91.5 FM, WEIB 106.3 FM

TV- Cable
Keyan’s music was part of a regular rotation on the Weather Channel “Local on the 8’s”

Live Radio

88.1 WFSK FM- http://www.fisk.edu/index.asp?cat=6&pid=198

MVY Radio-htttp://www.mvyradio.com/local_musicafe/#1167402374

99.5 FM WSUR-http://playlist.wusr.scranton.edu/index.php

KCCK FM- http://www.kirkwood.edu/kcck/

WSIE 88.7FM-http://www.siue.edu/WSIE/frames.html

KJZS 92.1 FM – http://www.smoothjazzreno.com

WHCR 90.3FM – http://whcr.org/

Internet Radio

Groove Suites www.groovesuite.com/
New Artist Radio www.newartistradio.com/members/members/396/
Live 365 www.live365.com/stations/cruisenjazz
E- Radio Biz www.e-radiobiz.com/default.asp?artid=157
Artist First www.artistfirst.com/(Switzerland)
Smooth Vibes www.smoothvibes.com/swissgroove.html
Atlanta Blue Sky www.atlantabluesky.com(Jazz Colors)
Radio Jazz Plus www.radiojazzplus.com/
Radio Zenwaw www.radio.zenwaw.com/
Echo Radio www.echosmoothjazz.com/
Smooth Jazz and More www.smoothjazzandmore.com/

Reviews

“Oh my… Excellent! Keyan has such a CRISP horn. Kind of like Grover Washington, but with his own sound. And for sure, it won’t be long before his fans are able to distinguish style. Definitely, one of the best new smooth jazz artists I have heard this year.” –Rachelle Bivins, Abyss Jazz Magazine

“The title track on the new release The Art of Living makes me feel a little homesick. This song reminds me a lot of my time in New York and riding down the Major Deegan Expressway in the back seat as a child. My dad played mostly soft jazz tunes while driving and I got a kick out of watching the buildings go by while listening to the music. The saxophone is obviously the main instrument in this song, and it has a nice presence. It doesn’t overpower the rest of the instruments and what was played sounds really nice. Overall, a very cool song. I’m going to call my parents now.” -Jacob Dixon from Pratteln, Switzerland

“The Art of Living” song has excellent bass and the rhythm is very groovy. The drumming is good; it flows along with the song smoothly. The best thing about this track is the saxophone; it’s masterfully played without a flaw and it hooks you up big time. It has a very romantic feel to it and the melody manages to chill you out. I like the way piano is introduced; it
really enhances the mood of this track. BRILLIANCE!” -Morris Plains

Festivals
Arizona Black Film Festival
Tucson Jazz Festival
Verrado Jazz Fest
San Jose Jazz Festival

Instrumentation
4 Piece Quartet.. Saxophonist, Keyboard, Drummer, and Bass with an
Optional: Guitar and Percussion

Discography
CD Release – “The Art of Living” August, 2006 Total of 10 Tracks.