
Born and raised on Chicago's South Side,
it was no surprise that Samuel "Savoir
Faire" Williams cut his improvisational
teeth at local Jazz sessions. His first
performance was at age 5 on stage at
Chicago Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall
as one of 25 special Suzuki students
hand-picked by Betty Haig to perform at
the hallowed hall. Savoir Faire never
lost his passion for the violin even
when his family could not afford the
best instruments. Instead of giving up
he forged ahead, winning local talent
shows and receiving scholarships to
study with renowned teachers, such as
violinist/composer Harold Geller (of the Galamian lineage) and violist Richard
Ferrin (a veteran Section Violist for
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and
winning the prestigious Interlochen
award, to study at Interlochen.
Prodigy is a word that was avoided by
the Williams' family because of their
fervent Christian humility; however, his
life and musical career have been
nothing short of miraculous. Savoir
Faire's music and improvisation
possesses a quality that is steeped in
spirituality. Classically trained, his
skill and oneness with his instrument
has allowed him to grace the stages of
many of the region's world renowned
performance venues, such as Fred
Andersons Velvet Lounge, The Green Mill,
The Chicago Jazz Showcase, Symphony
Center, and Pops For Champagne. Savoir
Faire continues to inspire audiences by
commiting himself to the evolution of
the creative music genre called jazz,
surely securing a place among the great
Chicago improvisational musicians of the
past and present. As a member of AACM,
the Association for the Advancement of
Creative Musicians, Savoir has honed his
craft alongside some of the world's
greatest musicians. He has exchanged
musical ideas with notables such as Von
Freeman, Roscoe Mitchell, Kenny Burrell,
Ari Brown, Fred Anderson, Johnny Frigo,
Willie Pickens, Larry Grey and more.
Only a handfull of bonafied jazz
violinists even exist, and even fewer
that have galvanized and continue to
cultivate the Chicago sound. Savoir
Faire is proud to be one of them.
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