JORDAN WILLIAMS / Cape May Convention Hall / Saturday, October 24, 3:30pm

The Story

Pianist Jordan Williams states in no uncertain terms on his website that he is on a mission to uphold the great heritage of that American art form — jazz. The Philadelphia native has been immersed in jazz from the age of six while also developing a taste along the way for the European classical repertoire, from Bach, Beethoven and Brahms to Mozart, Chopin and Debussy. An accomplished player and bandleader on the Philly jazz scene, Williams is carrying on in the tradition of jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Kirkland and Mulgrew Miller, along with contemporary mentors like Orrin Evans, Cyrus Chestnut, Benny Green and Jason Moran. An in-demand sideman, he has shared the stage with such esteemed veterans as trumpeter Charles Tolliver, drummer Winard Harper, saxophonists Bobby Watson and Abraham Burton, trumpeter Duane Eubanks, bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Delfeayo Marsalis.

The 30-year-old Williams made his debut recording as a leader in January of 2026 with Playing By Ear, featuring bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. It was a sign of great things to come. As he said of that album title, “Playing by ear is how I learned to listen — not just to music but to life. You start to realize that silence, memory and mistake all play a role in what comes next.”

The Sound

Williams’ emotionally-charged, forward-thinking and undeniably swinging approach to the piano can be heard and felt in his interpretations of jazz classics that appear on his auspicious debut, including Hancock’s “One Finger Snap,” Kirkland’s “Steepian Faith,” Horace Silver’s “Peace” and Mal Waldron’s “Left Alone.” Based on his performance on Playing by Ear alone, it is time to proclaim Williams as (in the Downbeat parlance) “a talent deserving of wider recognition.”