Bernie Williams : Baseball, Jazz, Blues and Salsa.
Puerto Rican Major League Baseball outfielder Bernabé “Bernie” Williams Figueroa ( New York Yankees) is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.
Growing up in Vega Alta ( Puerto Rico ) Bernie, a very devoted classical guitar student, wanted to become a professional musician. As a young man, growing into a naturally athletic body, Williams shared his free time between playing baseball and studying music. As his baseball playing skills developed Bernie was forced to choose between music and sports.
Soon he became a pro baseball player (switch hitter for the New York Yankees (1991-2006)), but he never stopped playing and studying music. Nowadays Williams is a critically-acclaimed jazz recording artist.
This is a video of Bernie williams playing live in New Milford, Connecticut (February 2007).
“I grew up listening to salsa, that’s the main rhythm we have.”
“ When I was in school I was more into the classical guys,” he says. We listened to Bach and Mozart, Haydn, Scarlatti, Vivaldi.”
“And a few years after I graduated from high school I picked up an electric guitar in New York and got hooked, astounded the way I could change the sound with pedals and all that.”
Then I got into the blues and started listening to Muddy Waters, the Kings – B.B., Albert and them, Eric Clapton, Robben Ford.”
“Then I was introduced to jazz by way of the blues, listening to the big guys, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker. As far as pure guitar people I listen to a lot, it’s been Robben Ford, Pat Metheney, George Benson, Alan Holdsworth, Mike Stern, Scott Henderson, people like that. They’re not afraid to try different things. I always want to keep my mind challenged with the music I listen to.”
