PHOTO: STEVE GALLI | Brooklyn transplant Cole Williams has quickly developed a presence in New Orleans due to regular gigging and an enthusiastic attitude about New Orleans music. She plays her first headlining gig at a Mardi Gras ball on Saturday night when she appears with her band at the party after the Krewe Delusion parade. Showtime is 10 PM at the New Orleans Healing Center.
At just two years as a New Orleans resident, Williams is very excited to play for the krewe. When she first saw the Krewe of King of James, one of Delusion’s sub krewes which was founded by DJ Soul Sister as an homage to James Brown, she thought, “here’s some strong women I could parade with…”
Though Williams isn’t parading with the Krewe of James this year, the chance to play the ball was one she couldn’t resist. She said, “This is a really good opportunity to play for some people who maybe haven’t heard me yet.”
However, the list of people in New Orleans who have yet to hear Williams is rapidly getting smaller. She plays a regular Saturday night gig at the Marigny Brassiere on Frenchmen Street, played at Jazz Fest last year, and is booked to play French Quarter Fest for the first time this year. Williams is also putting the finishing touches on her first east coast tour as a local New Orleanian and is really thrilled about bringing her band to her old stomping grounds in New York.
Though Williams has an extensive discography including her four years with Pimps of Joytime and work with the likes of Joey Bada$$, Corey Henry and the Tremé Funket, Aloe Blacc, and Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam, she is making plans for her first live album. It will feature her New Orleans band—Jeff Jani on drums, Devin Kerrigan on bass, and Billy Franklin on guitar.
Like so many musicians who have made New Orleans home or been influenced by the city’s deep culture, Williams has strong words about her experiences living in the city. She said, “The musicianship is uncanny in New Orleans. They say ‘If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere,’ but really if you can make it New Orleans, you can make it anywhere.”
