New jazz singer in Charlotte

Kat Williams has spent the past 10 years making a name for herself as a jazzy singer in Asheville, but she hopes to carve out a niche in a city that doesn’t consistently support jazz. She performs at Petra’s in Plaza-Midwood on Friday (8 p.m., $10).

I saw her perform at a festival in Asheville a couple of years ago, and her show was amazing. She easily glided between jazz standards and Earth, Wind & Fire soul. She’s a big dawg in Asheville, and I was surprised to hear that she had moved here.

Here’s the scoop:
When did you move to Charlotte?
Four months ago.

Why?
I needed to be near a major airport. I’ve done every big gig I can do in Asheville; it’s time for me to spread out a little bit.

What venue would you most like to perform at here?
Blumenthal. I do a show that’s a tribute to women in jazz.

Aren’t you nervous about starting over?
I’m up for the challenge. It’s a bigger market. It has a lot more going on, a lot more to see.

Details: www.katwilliams.com