Williams’ Charms, Vocals Delight Audience

Singer-songwriter Victoria Williams was surrounded by admirers Thursday night, and it’s tough to say who was more delighted--the rapt Roxy audience or the musicians on stage with her.

Backed by 10 band members, Williams played banjo, piano, guitar and harmonica, singing her unique folk- and jazz-laced pop tunes to an audience that remained attentive throughout the nearly two-hour performance. The sit-down setting helped make the usually impersonal room feel intimate, and an amazing lack of conversational buzz allowed Williams to converse casually with fans, as if she were in her own living room.

This rapport was matched by the harmony on stage, as Williams and band showcased her latest release, “Musings of a Creekdipper,” along with older favorites and a standard or two. The players’ instrumental palette was similar to the album’s--strings, vibes, drums, horns, keyboard, guitar, banjo and harmonica--but the feeling that each of these ethereal ballads, folksy epics and blues-tinged rockers had been painstakingly crafted gave way to a collaborative sense of spontaneity.

If this spontaneity often threatened to slide into chaos--Williams’ performances never gain much momentum because she tends to ramble charmingly after every single number--it was fascinating to hear the music coalescing on the spot. Her high-pitched, breathy voice cast a low-key spell in songs that reflected on such strangely fascinating topics as eucalyptus trees, blue skies and the demise of America’s train system.

The sole disappointment was that, even after the mike was turned up in mid-set, her wispy vocals tended to be drowned out when all the musicians were playing in full force. That may have contributed to the audience’s being so quiet, but, ultimately, Williams’ way with emotional nuances was the most compelling reason to listen closely.