PORT TOWNSEND — Tony Williamson, the acclaimed mandolinist and music historian, will pay a visit here for a concert at the Friends Meetinghouse, 1841 Sheridan St., this Saturday night.
Toolshed Soundlab and Ruffo Music of Port Townsend will present this 7 p.m. show; doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with admission a $10 to $15 donation.
The evening will feature Williamson’s solo set; then comes a second set with him performing alongside a roster of guest musicians.
Williamson has been bringing his songs and stories to people around the world — from North America to Europe, Japan and South America — for four decades now.
He was born and raised in rural North Carolina to a family of wood-workers and musicians, and started out circa 1968 with a recording of “John Henry,” made with his brother Gary, for an anthology called “Discovering Music Together.”
The album also included selections from the Boston Symphony and rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears.
After taking a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Williamson went on the road with the Bluegrass Alliance, whose alumni include Vince Gill, Sam Bush and Tony Rice.
His stint with the now legendary group set him on a musical course that would send him into the worlds of classical, jazz, folk — and, naturally, deeper into bluegrass.
Williamson’s music “dazzles without ever lapsing into flashiness,” wrote the Chicago Tribune’s David Ryoko.
“This is great music,” he added, “hiding behind genuine humility.”
The artist has worked on stage or in the studio with Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Bobby Hicks, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Mike Marshall, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Don Stiernberg and Robin and Linda Williams of “A Prairie Home Companion” fame, and received awards and nominations from the International Bluegrass Music Association and other groups.
Williamson’s love of his instruments has evolved over the years into an encyclopedic knowledge of their histories.
A scholar of vintage mandolins and guitars, he’s an avid collector, and routinely brings an array of instruments onstage to demonstrate why they are revered for their tone and craftsmanship.
His 2012 recording, “Lloyd Loar Mandolins,” features 13 of his solo performances — on 13 individual mandolins.
For information about Williamson’s concert this Saturday, see www.toolshedsoundlab.com or phone 360-385-6836.
