Grammy-winning bassist, composer and bandleader Ben Williams released his sociopolitically charged new album I AM A MAN today via Rainbow Blonde Records. Prior to the release, he shared his powerful rendition of the civil rights classic "We Shall Overcome" via Billboard and soulful single “If You Hear Me.” The album title is a reference to picket signs held during Memphis’ historic 1968 African American sanitation workers’ strike and is Williams’ most poignant statement yet. He'll be celebrating the release with a show tomorrow at Nublu 151 in New York, before embarking on an international tour - dates here and below.

Listen: I AM A MAN

Tour Dates

2/8: New York, NY @ Nublu 151 (Album Release Show)

3/19: Washington, DC @ City Winery 

3/20: Boston, MA @ Scullers

5/29-5/31: Tokyo Japan @ Cotton Club

6/1: Nagoya, Japan @ Nagoya Blue Note

6/8-6/9: Los Angeles, CA @ Blue Whale

6/10: Santa Cruz, CA @ Kuumbwa Jazz

6/11-6/13: San Francisco, CA @ Black Cat 

“Instead of just lashing out, I wanted to turn the mirror on us and show the world the complexity of our humanity as Black American men. I wanted to discuss how we process our daily lives – mentally and spiritually.” - Ben Williams

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, acclaimed Grammy-winning bassist, composer and bandleader Ben Williams today shared his powerful rendition of the civil rights classic "We Shall Overcome" via Billboard. With Frank Ocean-esque R&B production and a world class band, the track is a unifying call of the moment that grounds us in history, present, and a continuously hopeful future. It follows first soulful single “If You Hear Me” from his upcoming album I AM A MAN, out February 7, 2020 on Rainbow Blonde Records. The title is a reference to picket signs held during Memphis’ historic 1968 African American sanitation workers’ strike and is Williams’ most poignant, sociopolitical statement yet. 

Listen / Share: “We Shall Overcome”