Grammy Award-nominated guitarist Gil Parris and Latin Grammy Award-nominated guitarist and four-time New York Yankees World Series champion Bernie Williams performed at Luna Luna at The Shed in NYC on February 26.
Parris and Williams, who have known each other for two decades, spoke with WBGO's Doug Doyle.
Bernie was still playing for the Yankees when he first saw Gil playing the guitar on stage.
"I think it was two years before I retired from baseball, Gil was at the Lazy Boy Saloon in White Plains at a Wednesday night jam. I was like this guy can play! I took the opportunity after the set to talk to him a little bit and it just kind of went from there."
Gil Parris certainly knew who Bernie was at the time.
"I was a baseball fan. I remember talking to him about Bobby Murcer. Bernie kept coming back, so I would bring him my instructional books and videos. Then we started hanging out. In 2007, I put on a show with Randy Brecker and Paul Schaffer. Bernie came to the show and just jumped up and played with us. He was very coerced but he was having so much fun."
Fast forward, the duo enjoy performing together. Parris says it didn't hurt that Bernie already had a good work ethic.
"He has a natural ability. When we play together rhythmically everything just blends and it's been like that since the beginning. It's funny. We don't have to talk about it, it's like telepathy."
That's says a lot about their friendship. Parris has worked with the likes of Dr. John, Dianne Schurr, Blood Sweat and Tears and Toni Braxton and his vast career includes blues, jazz, rock and pop.
Bernie Williams' music career took off in 2009 when his Moving Forward album was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. The former Yankees great was used to success to the diamond. To go along with those four World Series rings, Bernie was a 5X All-Star, ALCS MVP (1996), 4X Gold Glove Award winner, and AL Batting Champion (1998).
When Bernie's #51 jersey was retired at Yankee Stadium, Gil Parris was in the stands to honor his friend.
Bernie Williams is one of the most clutch playoff performers in MLB history, but the former outfielder is just as passionate about his musical career.
"I think I utilized music as a means of expression since I was about eight-years-old. I consider myself very introverted, very shy kid growing up. When my dad introduced me to playing guitar back in those days, I just fell in love with it. It became my way of expressing myself and my emotions in a way that my worlds couldn't explain. I was very fortunate that my mom an educator in Puerto Rico and she got me this great opportunity to go to a performing arts high school. So music has always been a big part of my life.
While Williams and Parris will perform as a duo at Luna Luna, they are also enjoying playing as part of a quartet with bassist Will Lee and drummer and vocalist Josh Dion. The quartet released the single "Good Friends" in 2024
You can SEE Doug Doyle's entire interview with Bernie Williams and Gil Parris here.
