Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Jon Williams - Contributed

Consumed by music, Jon Williams is a musical jack of all trades - a pianist, teacher, music arranger and entrepreneur.

Williams started playing the piano at age two, and his parents, seeing his potential, sent him to classes when he was four and a half years old. According to Williams, he hasn't looked back since.

Primarily a jazz musician, he also plays gospel and all the basic Caribbean and North American popular rhythms.

Other than his desire to play the piano, Williams also strongly believes in passing on his knowledge to others. He has taught at EXED and the School of Music at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. "I want to impart onto other young people, develop them. I only left teaching to develop musicians from another angle, that is from my production company, Almond Productions. My desire is to pass on what I've learnt, to produce good, solid music," Williams said.

For about 25 years Williams has steadily developed his musical career. He has worked with the Jamaica Music Theatre Company, Independent Theatre Production and Father Holung and friends, among others, as a musical director. At Present he is the resident pianist at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel and 'Le Pavillion' restaurant, with the group, Touch of Elegance. He is also the resident keyboard and violin player of 'Jon Williams and Friends', a fusion/jazz group.

"God is my inspiration, especially in terms of what I like to produce. We don't produce anything derogatory to human beings. We only want to produce things that could uplift the human race. I consider myself along the line of sophisticated, a lot of thought, don't like things too simple. I'm at my best playing that sort of music," he said.

Hence, his production company, which has arranged for a number of gospel acts, among them Birthright, New Creation, Robert Bailey and Harmony Gospel Group.

Toured places

While he has toured in Canada, U.S.A., Caribbean, South Africa and England, Williams is mainly in the studio. "Every now and again I do a performance or perform alongside a popular artiste. I don't play regularly," he said.

While Williams is living his dream of working with groups for his production company, what he also wants to do is to start a school for the performing arts, as he continues to live a musical life.