Joel Willson

Last night I was privileged to hear the Iguanas perform.  They were raucous with tight grooves and the audience was dancing.   It was also cool because I got to thank them for raising money in Baton Rouge last week.  The flooding messed us up pretty bad, and their show at the Dyson House Listening […]

    Improvisation is dangerous. That’s what I like about it.   I started performing Spontaneous Combustion events 6 years ago, and it still inspires me.   Imagine five musicians on a stage extemporaneously creating a song. There is no director or curator. No one has a score. No one knows how the tune will […]

  I wrote this song during the Great Flood of 2016.  Many friends and family members lost everything.   What I saw was a community stand together victorious in the midst of tragedy.  I was proud to live in Southern Louisiana.    There is a special joy that comes with rebuilding/remodeling.       A […]

  This is going to be a really special show.  The Parlor is a new listening room in Baton Rouge.  It has a really cool vibe, and I’ve been looking forward to playing there for a few months. Live music is always one of my favorite ways to celebrate holidays.  Here are 3 reasons I […]

  This is going to be amaaaaaazing.  Can’t wait!

Southern Louisiana is experiencing a great travesty. Flood waters have displaced thousands and thousands of people from their homes. This is a great way to help: http://www.fightthefloodla.com/              

  I’m developing a new project based on the Civil War. It’s going to be a song cycle that captures the timeline, and emotions of each period of the conflict. Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia was where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered in April 1865. It’s a beautiful metaphor. In my song I took the perspective […]