Van Williamson Trio returns to Rehoboth Jazz Festival

“When autumn leaves start to fall...” Nah, too hackneyed. Let’s try something else.

“Now the days are short, I’m in the autumn of the year...” Yikes, too depressing. How about...

“Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December...” Too long; I’m already tired of waiting.

Well, the point is, the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival turns 30 this year, and guitarist Van Williamson will be performing at his 29th consecutive festival. How is it possible, you may ask, that the youthful Williamson has been coming here every year since 1989 to play jazz, given that he’s only just now starting on Mel Bay’s Guitar Method Volume III? The answer, my friend, is not blowin’ in the wind, the answer is: It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it.

And so it is that Mr. Williamson and his trio (do I have to say some of the finest players around?) will once again grace the beach with another dose of Straight-Ahead Uncompromising Cocktail Music, of which (it is unnecessary to add) he is the Foremost Purveyor.

“I tried everything I could think of to avoid just this situation,” notes Williamson from a shipping container he uses as an office, where he pieces together individual strands of spaghetti into one long strand, instead of the dozens that masquerade as “spaghetti,” but should clearly be labeled “spaghettis,” since the goal is to have the label on the box reflect what is inside. “There’s not a lot of call for my services, although you might be surprised,” he notes. “I know I am.”

But I digress. Why try to avoid the phenomenal success in entertaining audiences that number easily in the double digits?

“Well, I thought I would have had enough by this time, but every time I see another 5-year-old on YouTube playing something so complicated it makes me break out in a cold sweat, I just can’t give up. Deep in my heart, I know that I too am a 5-year-old who just loves to play, and so I strive for better and better endorsements, testimonials, the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, pretty much whatever I can get,” says Williamson. “If it has to be Gerber’s, so be it.”

And so it goes. Williamson, whose cousin, presidential contender Marianne, is used here solely for the purpose of name dropping, will be joined by his trio, the only good use of three people whose goal in life is to get out of the house and drive all over the place. They all hope you can make it to one of the gigs, since the celebration of jazz is better when more people are involved. Here’s the schedule and personnel:

Thursday, Oct. 17, 2-5 p.m., Dos Locos Stone Grill and Tex Mex Restaurant, 208 Rehoboth Ave. With bassist Eddie Eatmon and drummer Dean Haemel.
Friday, Oct. 18, 1-4 p.m., Dos Locos. With bassist Bob Abbott and drummer Wes Crawford.
Friday, Oct. 18, 6-9 p.m., Azzurro Italian Oven & Bar, 210 2nd St. With Abbott and Crawford.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 1-3 p.m., Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave. With Abbott and Crawford. Sponsored by the Delaware Celebration of Jazz.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 5-8 p.m., Azzurro Italian Oven & Bar, 210 2nd St. With Abbott and Crawford.
Sunday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Back Porch Cafe, 59 Rehoboth Ave. With Abbott and Crawford.