Out of center field
July 15, 2003
BY DAVE HOEKSTRA Staff Reporter

New York Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams is best known for his gripping moments in the sun, catching baseballs and winning a batting title. The graceful 34-year-old native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a five-time All-Star.

But when Williams cradles his guitar, he embraces a lifetime.

Williams releases his debut Latin jazz CD, "The Journey Within," on GRP Records today in conjunction with the 74th All-Star Game at U.S. Cellular Field. On Sunday night Williams headlined a private party at the House of Blues. Williams fronted an all-star band that featured bassist Leland Sklar (Jackson Browne, James Taylor), original E-Street Band keyboardist David

Sancious, saxophonist Richard Elliott and special guest Ruben Blades on vocals and percussion. This is as serious as a George Steinbrennner lineup.

Audience members included St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, former all-star outfielder Bobby Bonilla and Williams' all-star teammate Hideki Matsui, who was surrounded by a throng of Japanese media. When asked through a translator what he thought of Williams' music, Matsui smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Former New York mayor and Yankee fan Rudolph Giuliani introduced Williams.

"What am I doing here?" Giuliani asked. "This is Brooklyn, isn't it?" Giuliani thanked Chicago for its aid in the aftermath of 9/11, pointing out that Chicago police officers even directed traffic in New York City. As for Williams' music, Giuliani said, "This is the part of Bernie you can see while watching baseball. Grace and style. He makes baseball look so easy and classy."

In a backstage conversation before his 45-minute set, Williams admitted he was nervous. Although he has been playing guitar for a quarter of a century and once covered Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin' " with the Jazz Mandolin Project at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, Williams had never played out in front of a band before. "Playing live is similar to playing a game of baseball," Williams said. "You have one shot to make it right." Sunday's concert was filmed by Major League Baseball.

Wearing faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt, Williams debuted several songs from the record, but none was as evocative as the instrumental "Para Don Berna," which he wrote about his late father, Bernabe. Williams was accompanied by his brother Hiram Williams on cello and guest piano player David Benoit. Williams' mother, Rufina, a longtime educator in Puerto Rico, was in the audience.

Bernabe Williams Sr. is where the journey begins.

A former merchant marine, the elder Williams bought an old guitar in Spain and brought it home to play for his sons. "He played it during the nights, all the time," Williams said. "I remember being 5 or 6 years old and dancing in the living room with my brother while he was strumming away. That is one of my good memories.

"He died 2-1/2 years ago. I came up with the melody and told my brother I wanted us to play it at his funeral. But it never happened. So I took all my ideas back to my recording studio and gave it to the musicians. They were able to pick up on the feelings and the emotions of the song."

Williams' mother wanted her sons to pursue music. In ninth grade, Williams enrolled in the Escuela Libre de Musica (Free School of Music) for prospective musicians in San Juan.
"It was grueling," Williams says. "We had to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to this school and stay until 5 p.m. Then I would get my gear and go play baseball or run track. But being in that music school was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It has never left me."

Williams' guitar style echoes the pretty tones and elongated single-note-at-a-time lines played by contemporary jazz guitarist Earl Klugh. When this is mentioned to Williams, his eyes light up.

"Earl was the man," Williams says. "He was the one guy we listened to a lot when we were in high school. I like guys who have creativity and expression when they improvise."

Paul McCartney has signed on as Williams' music publisher. This puts Williams in the same league as Buddy Holly and Jelly Roll Morton, whose songs are controlled by McCartney's MPL communications. McCartney became acquainted with Williams during the 2001 World Series, when he attended his first live baseball game. McCartney said he was "blown away" by Williams' talent, and on the CD's liner notes, he writes, "Go Bernie, it's a home run!"

McCartney had to be attracted to Williams' keen sense of melody.

" It comes from all the music I've been listening to over the years," Williams said with a soft smile. "There are only 13 notes. It comes from my Latin background, listening to the syncopation of the salsa and the merengue, listening to the classical masters in high school. And finally, later on, hearing jazz and blues. It's a mixture of all those influences."

The first 50,000 copies of "The Journey Within" feature a LeRoy Neiman portrait of Williams. The record will be marketed to smooth jazz and Adult Album Alternative radio. Williams' producer Loren Harriet ("Big League Rocks," "NBC Celebrity Christmas CD") has worked with other aspiring athlete-musicians such as former White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell, who is in town this week.

" I worked with Jack, and he was great," Harriet said. "We worked with [former National Basketball Association player and electric bassist] Wayman Tisdale. Those guys have passion. They love music. But Bernie has the technique and the natural ability. Wayman is great with melodies, as is Bernie, but Wayman doesn't have the dynamics that Bernie has."
The record has such crossover appeal, one wonders if Steinbrenner, Williams' notoriously hands-on boss with the Yankees, has heard it. "I don't know," Williams said, slightly startled at the notion. "I hope he does. He doesn't miss that much, you know."

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