WILLIAM BEATTY
Born in Berkelely, California, William was raised in a family where music was loved and played. Growing up listening to his father and older brother John playing piano, William began [+]WILLIAM BEATTY
Born in Berkelely, California, William was raised in a family where music was loved and played. Growing up listening to his father and older brother John playing piano, William began playing on his own and shortly thereafter, John, the brother about whom the song 'Brother John' is written (track #7 on the 'Song of Unconditional Love' CD), taught him one of their father's songs. By the age of nine, William began composing his own pieces for piano. While still in high school, William was invited to join the back-up band for a local soul group, The Numonics. Styled after the singing group 'The Temptations', this early performing experience was an invaluable, challeging introduction to ensemble playing, song styles and form, and arranging. Since then he has continued on his musical journey, studying and playing a wide variety of music, from classical piano repertoire to blues, r&b, gospel and jazz. As a five-year member of a band led by the fine saxophonist Jules Broussard, William honed his skills, and upon leaving he began leading his own group, Countdown, which worked for many years as the house band at a popular night spot on Union Street in San Francisco. It was here that he met the talented vocalists Nicolas Bearde, featured on 'In Tennessee' and 'Moonlight In Vermont', and Jacqueline Marshall, to whom 'Queen Jacqueline' is dedicated. William's experience as a touring musician is highlighted most recently by four years' traveling with the band Indigo Swing. From 1996 to 2000, the band recorded three CD's with William as the principle composer and arranger. Indigo Swing toured throughout the United States, Canada, England and Europe. They performed with Lionel Hampton and Rosemary Clooney at the Stuttgart Jazz Festival in Germany, shared a touring bill with The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and had songs placed in the movie 'The Bachelor', and on the TV series Nash Bridges. William's compositions on his most recent recording, 'Song of Unconditional Love', reflect his skills as an instrumentalist, arranger and composer, and are a joining of many musical ideas and inspirations: Poems set to music, his love of family and friends (both here and gone), of mountain skies, the sound of streams
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