Name: Ben Williams'
Start: 2025-12-28T20:00:00-05:00
Location: 600 14th Street NW Washington DC 20005

DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM | SHOW BEGINS AT 8:00 PM

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BEN WILLIAMS
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA is DC’s own Grammy Award-winning bassist, composer, vocalist, bandleader and producer. Ben Williams recently premiered his latest album/film project, “Between Church & State” on May 2, 2025, at his high school alma mater, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC. The presentation was a 90-minute experience that seamlessly blended documentary screening with a live musical performance featuring a stellar band of mainly local musicians like Deborah Bond, Janelle Gill, Jabari Exum, Quincy Phillips including the Duke Ellington School Strings Ensemble. He also featured Chelsea Baratz & David Rosenthal of New York City.
“Between Church & State” is Williams’ fourth album and it reflects themes from his third album, “I AM A MAN” (February 2020/Jose James’ Rainbow Blonde Record label). “I AM A MAN” has truly marked a pivotal moment in Williams’ career while seeing him step into the role of vocalist and using his music to explore themes of racial identity and social justice. Praised for his fearless experimentation and deep cultural resonance, the project cemented his reputation as an artist unafraid to challenge and inspire others.
Ultimately it set the stage but not boundaries for this latest release. While “Between Church & State” expands these themes of weaving together family legacy, social activism and self-discovery in a powerful, immersive experience, Williams’ unique ability to seamlessly blend genres, demonstrating his commitment to social commentary through music, and his dedication to education makes him a standout figure in the modern music landscape. Throughout the history of popular music, many Black artists have assumed the social responsibility of being a voice of their community and have used their art to speak truth to power and spread awareness of the Black struggle. Williams is doing just that with his music as he is following the footsteps of Billie Holiday, Max Roach, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, et al.
Aside from taking on this new role as an artist, Williams has an interesting story to tell that is informative and hopefully motivational as he documents his quest to dig deeper into the roots of his own family, finding a lineage of social activism through politics and the Black church from both his maternal and paternal sides of his family. While telling his own story, he unpacks not only his personal experience as a Black man, but explores broader issues such as spirituality, addiction, escapism, police brutality, anxiety, and afro-futurism that seems to have a`ected his entire community insurmountably for decades.
Williams’ groundbreaking album, “Between Church & State” features himself on upright and electric bass, and vocals alongside his original music compositions and arrangements on the following tracks: “Safe Space,” “Keep On,” “Black is Beautiful,” “You Are (Supernational),” “Inner City Blue,” “Blue,” “Ballet (for the Elephant in the Room),” “Consciousness,” “Double Consciousness,” “Anima,” and “Hood Robin.”
The album features special guests: Kamasi Washington, Chief Adjuah (former Christian Scott), Keyon Harrold, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sy Smith, Kendra Foster, Wes Felton, Dwight Trible, Muhsina, and Mae.Sun –- backed by a stellar band that include Justin Brown (drums), Brandon Coleman (keys), Hailey Niswanger (sax, flute, bass clarinet), Sasha Berliner (vibraphone), and Andrew Renfroe (guitar). Williams also features the voice of his mother (Bennie Barnes-Williams) while she shares a few of her life-time stories and experiences dealing with racial injustice, and her commitment to the Civil Rights Movement and her years spent in the national political scene.
Upon receiving his degrees of Bachelor and Master from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (2007) and of Juilliard Conservatory of New York City, (2009) respectively, he immediately won first place in the Bass Competition of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz – setting his career on fire. The award included $20,000 towards furthering his studies in music as well as a recording contract with Concord Records. Shortly thereafter, Williams released his first two albums, “State of Art” (2011) and “Coming of Age” (2015) with Concord Records. Each album received a 4.5-star review in DownBeat Magazine and reached #1 on the iTunes and National Billboard charts. In 2011 iTunes named him “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” in jazz category.
For the remainder of the decade, Williams’ career ascended as an in-demand bassist. He recorded and toured with a litany of titans that include guitarists Pat Metheny and George Benson; singers Dianne Reeves, Carmen Lundy, Jazzmeia Horn, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, and José James; saxophonists David Sanborn, Dick Oatts, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, and Sadao Watanabe; pianists Robert Glasper and Eric Reed; trumpeters Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton, vibraphonist Stephon Harris; and violinist Regina Carter.
In 2013, Williams won a Grammy Award with The Pat Metheny Unity Band for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album.” In 2013 and 2015 he was recipient of the DownBeat Magazine’s Critics Poll Awards, for “Rising Star Bassist”. In 2017, he was first recipient of the “Congressional Black Caucus Jazz Innovator Award” for his highly creative and multifaceted contribution to Jazz and World culture. It was presented to him by the late Congressman John Conyers, Jr at the Annual Congressional Black Caucus Jazz Concert where Williams was featured artist. The Congressman also requested that the Speaker of the US House of Representative enter a copy of his award into the Congressional Record in recognition and honor of Williams’ contribution to society.
Finally, Wiliams has also produced albums for other emerging artists such as singer Jackie “Bouvier” Copeland, and pianist and composer Farren Mahjoor. Williams thinks that his stints as a sideman bassist for so many artists gives him an advantage as producer. As Williams advances as producer, he says it’s like “learning music again.” “I’m developing a brand-new relationship with music, “he explains. “Being a producer makes me enjoy music more, because I get to enjoy it from so many di`erent perspectives. My career now feels like there’s more of a balance of those perspectives. For instance, when I play bass, I think like a composer, but when I’m producing music, I think like a bassist.”

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All tickets are general admission (GA). Seats cannot be reserved in advance. We recommend that you arrive early to secure your favorite seats within your section. You may hold one (1) seat for a friend arriving later. Every guest requires a ticket.