True artistry tends to sidestep the allure of celebrity in favour of championing itself as the sincere alternative; it's behind the songs that tickle the emotions, whisper the deepest secrets and prove that the artist possesses a genius that'll ensure they're remembered as one of the shining lights of our era. This is the story of Natalie Williams – a singer-songwriter whose accomplishments as one of the UK's leading soul-jazz stars speak of a woman who understands how to combine her femininity and independence with a superior talent to create songs of love's highs and woes that resonates with the soul.
It's a gift that was first developed as child growing up in Berlin. Born to a Hungarian mother and British poet John Hartley Williams, Natalie first discovered a love for jazz music after discovering her dad's record collection. She was inspired to sing after listening to artists such as Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Aretha Franklin. After attending a series of workshops at high school, she was awarded a scholarship in 1995 to do a course at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, and she spent a term at the Hanns Eisler School for Music studying jazz under the tutelage of the renowned vocalist Judy Niemack. Two years later, she moved to London to study at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where past alumni include soul singer Omar, Dido and the legendary jazz composer Dave Holland.
By 2000, she was touring Europe as a member of the European youth Jazz Orchestra, and spent her last year at Guildhall collaborating with a number of underground producers (including Mark Hill of Artful Dodger fame) before signing a development deal with urban independent label Eastside Records. She says: “"I knew that what I'd learned in school was useful and had been very valuable to me to grow as a musician, but I also knew I had to get out there and just do my thing." Her 2003 debut, Lucky Old Sun, was a live album that put a new spin on classic jazz standards and was recorded in only two days. This was followed up with the critically-acclaimed album Yours Truly in 2004. The jazzy soulful opus drew comparisons with Erykah Badu and Jill Scott and firmly established the young talent with the stunning vocals as a fresh exponent of modern soul and jazz.
Her new-found status saw her take 2006 by storm. She released her third album Secret Garden and became a resident singer at the world renowned Ronnie Scotts, playing opposite luminaries such as Jeff Beck, The Crusaders, Tower Of Power, Steve Gadd, Kenny Barron, Nigel Kennedy, Joe Lovano, Jon Hendrix and Jools Holland. Her Soul Family Sundays night, which she started in 2003, soon became an extremely popular feature at the club, selling out every month. “Before I had my proper band, I wanted to start playing regularly for people and play soul covers and that type of stuff and try out some of my songs before I released anything,” she explains. “Soul Family began in a basement bar in Islington with really low-ceilings and you could barely stand up straight – but we'd get people to come down to jam. It moved to WKDs in Camden, then Rex in the West End and the Soho Revue bar. We changed the format and have had special guests like Amy Winehouse and Jamie Cullum come down – and it was just really good fun.” It paved the way for the release of 2009's Soul Family Volume 1 album, and the glittering compilation featured the cream of UK soul talent including Conner Reeves, Vula (Basement Jaxx), Tawiah and Lucie Silvas.
2010 sees the release of her fourth solo album, My Oh My, a stunning, pop-inspired opus which shows a new phase in Natalie's musical journey. 'Lil’ Wiser', has achieved great support from radio stations such as BBC 1Xtra and Kiss 100 while the triumphant and groovy ‘Keep Me Holding On’, has proven to be a favourite amongst tastemakers. The album was largely written by Natalie with help from her band and producers Anthony Whiting (M.I.A), Mathias Wollo (Lemar, Lucie Silvas) and Drew Horley (Ty, Estelle, Jay Sean). “The inspiration was a lot to do with my musicians and my band and the formation that I play with, so I kept it really in the family. Song-wise, it's usually personal experiences or experiences of other people that inspire me and there's this one recurring theme – wanting someone to not take you for granted!” she laughs.
Throughout her career, Natalie has toured extensively around the globe, performing at a number of the world's leading jazz events including opening the 2009 London Jazz Festival at the Barbican with Guy Barker’s Jazz Voice, Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, as well as Glastonbury. She has also appeared as a featured artist with The Heritage Orchestra, Goldie, Bugz In The Attic and with or alongside Amy Winehouse, Shlomo, John Legend, Lemar, Alison Moyet, Jamie Cullum, Babyface, the Neville Brothers and recently with Manu Katché on his French TV show ‘One Shot Not’ .
Over the last few years, she has been developing her own label, Sound Tribe Records, to release all her upcoming material in a joint venture with Eastside Records.
As Natalie goes from strength to strength, it's clear she's the kind of artist who's pioneering the DIY ethos with a fierce belief in her craft – and whether she's moonlighting as sensational singer-songwriter, producer, label owner, or champion of burgeoning talent, she'll forever be the epitome of a true artist.
