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Jaik Willis
http://jaikwillis.com
jaikwillis "at" hotmail.com
309-530-9838cell
He has a most unique soaring falsetto and a wild
eyes rolled in the back of his head fierce guitar style. He writes
original songs, including a fantastic song about Freedom (the gas
station). Jaik's sound is somewhere between Anti-Folk and The Band
and it is unlike anything I've heard from anyone else. His energy is
fierce, his vocal range is inhuman, his beard is long. You've gotta
check this guy out.
- ( Independent Media Center 8/03 )
when you hear his voice with his music, it works. His talent on the acoustic flying V guitar and mandolin is something to behold. He stood alone on the stage, sounding like a full band. The crowd at IBC loved him... The crowd danced to every song and sang along.
- (Wilma, Rearview Reviews 8/07 )
Jaik is a hardcore troubador somewhere inbetween Steve Earle and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He has wandered around the USA like a modern minstrel, surfing sofas, car camping, and paying dues to sing the blues. It is a high energy solo show featuring Jaik's horn-like voice darting around a blistering broken-string approach to his acoustic flying V guitar, with original songs that are accessible, and message driven
- (Chicago Jams 2005)
Jaik is a nationally touring performer based in the Chicago area. He has shared bills with artists such as the Drovers, Leftover Salmon, Merl Saunders, Drop Q (Kris Meyers of Umphrey’s McGee, Kalyan Pathak of Fareed Haque Group), Digital Underground, Blueground Undergrass, EOTO (members of String Cheese Incident), The Schwag, Tea Leaf Green, Split Lip Rayfield, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, and Victor Wooten; and performed on stage with acoustic blues dynamo, Corey Harris. He has toured through IL, MI, WI, MO, IN, NJ, NY, CT, GA, OH, MN, AZ, TX, IA, NE, CO, MT, CA, OR, WA, and BC. He maintains a long mailing list from these regions and schedules at least 100 shows a year. He has performed at many festivals around the country and major venues from coast to coast including the House of Blues Chicago main-stage, the Mishawaka? Amphitheatre in Colorado, Camp Zoe in Missouri, and Horning’s Hideout Amphitheatre in Oregon. Summer of 2007 he will be featured at Cavefest (IL), Summer Solstice Cave Music Festival (IL), Schwagstock (MO), BlottOhio Music Festival (OH), Michigan Peace Fest (MI), and many other festivals.
Jaik’s song “Leaving Vancouver†was featured on the front page of the Chicago Sun Times website on 4/13/07 accompanying an article and a 2 page photograph in the paper itself. His song Checks & Balances was featured on Neil Young's website in 2006/07. He is featured on the Mo’ Phunk Records 2005 compilation “Re-Fuel Your Soul†along with groups like Stroke 9 (top 10 hit “Little Black Backpackâ€) and Lucky Boys Confusion (Elektra records). He is also featured on the Windy City Records Winter 2006/07 compilation CD.
Jaiks 4-octave voice stretches out in vocal solos and scatting over his high-energy acoustic guitar work on original songs that are accessible and lyrically intriguing. The focus is on keeping the show fun for the audience.
Jaik is an educated musician, having trained at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Illinois and California State Universities' music departments, and in Hollywood's Musician's Institute as their youngest student when he was 16 years-old. He spent all of his teen-age years practicing 10-16 hours per day. After studying jazz and Euro-classical music, Jaik received an ethno-musicology/ anthropology degree with a thesis on microtonal guitar music from Mauritania. He is always seeking performance opportunities and new avenues forward for his music.
http://jaikwillis.com jaikwillis "at" hotmail.com 309 530 9838cell
