'This Midwestern combo is gonna be a contender, you wait 'n' see.' --JazzReview.com
SOME COOL NEWS!
Ben Siems and Willie August Project received an HONORABLE MENTION AWARD in the 2008 Indie Singer-Songwriter Association (issa) songwriting contest! With hundreds of thousands of entries, this is one of the toughest contests out there. To be recognized in this way is quite a thrill!
Also, Ben Siems was named a FINALIST in the April round of the 2008 SONG OF THE YEAR International Songwriting Contest in the Folk Category for his acoustic folk-blues tune, Early Morning Blue!! (This song is selection 2 on the IPlayer music player below.) Only the top five songs in each category are named as finalists by the judges. To see the award and learn more, visit http://www.songoftheyear.com/winners/2008/042008.htm. This is a tremendous honor — thank you all for making such things possible through your support of our music over the years!!
OUR MUSIC
You can purchase the music of The Willie August Project and Ben Siems from the band's home page, on CDBaby and iTunes (see below), or right here at MySpace using the Willie August Project / Ben Siems Nimbit MP3 player!
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TRACK LIST for NIMBIT MP3 player:
1. Andean Fire Circle (from the CD, Surrender to the Wind)
2. Surrender to the Wind (from the CD, Surrender to the Wind)
3. Early Morning Blue (available as a single only!)
4. Shadow Chasers (from the CD, Empire at Twilight)
5. Nothing Matters but the Joy (from the CD, Surrender to the Wind)
6. Threshold: Entrancending; Incantascence (from the CD, Empire at Twilight)
7. Aspirations in Cobblestone (from the CD, Surrender to the Wind)
8. Waiting for Yesterday (from the CD, Empire at Twilight)
9. Lost and Found (Loon Call) (from the CD, Surrender to the Wind)
10 (six tracks). Empire at Twilight suite (from the CD Empire at Twilight)
11 (two tracks). Timescape suite (from the CD Empire at Twilight)
12. Andean Fire Circle, live version recorded at the world-famous Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis
To hear additional MP3 tracks, use the A&R Select IPlayer, found below OUR STORY.
You can also find our music, including entire albums and individual tracks at CDBaby and iTunes!
On CDBABY.COM:
For Willie August Project music: cdbaby.com/cd/willieaugust .
For Ben Siems music: cdbaby.com/cd/bensiems .
ON iTunes:
For the Willie August Project's Surrender to the Wind, CLICK HERE .
For Empire at Twilight, by Ben Siems, featuring Jeremy Hauer, CLICK HERE .
OUR STORY
The Willie August Project began as a collaboration between guitarist-composer Ben Siems and drummer Jeremy Hauer. The group is named for Siems' late grandfather, who was an avid supporter of live music before dying at a young age from a brain tumor. To round out the trio, upright bass duties are shared by some of the top bassists in Minnesota, including Jeff Brueske, Graydon Peterson, and Elizabeth Draper.
From A&R Select Artist Representation, Hollywood California:
"The Willie August Project jazz trio is demonstrating its forward-thinking musical theory with the audio goods on tap in its album, Surrender to the Wind. Genre-bending abounds with the progressive compositions presented by this act. Leader and principal composer Ben Siems has a history of bravely attacking jazz, fusion, avant-classical, ambient, experimental, singer-songwriter, and cinematic and theatrical styles. It sounds like a lot to bite off but the Project has no problem masticating this mouthful. The massively creative minds involved in this group digest a diversity of genre interests and the results are stunning.
Atmosphere swells out of the speakers on 'Andean Fire Circle,' the startling single from Surrender to the Wind. Captivating guitar playing stands as the spine of this music that mingles jazz, ambient and folk flavors in a slowly building and emotive work that carries the listener a great distance in its few minutes of running time. Drawing on a diversity of styles enables the band to embrace the whole scope of human emotion, from the most uplifting joy to the greatest depths of despair.
The Willie August Project has a stunning list of achievements, including: No. 1 new addition to the XM Satellite Radio Real Jazz 70 Playlist in January 2006; All-Time Top 100 Daily Downloads for two years running at AllAboutJazz.com; main stage performances at the Twin Cities, Grand Marais and Spooner Jazz festivals (with the group opening for Jason Marsalis at the latter); the receipt of more than ten composition and performance grants from a number of prestigious sources; a runner-up award in the 2006 Song of the Year international songwriting contest; a profile in Who’s Who in America, 2007 and 2008; and many more."
--Kristofer Upjohn, staff writer.
For more information, visit the band's home page, http://WillieAugust.tripod.com.
You can purchase the music of The Willie August Project and Ben Siems from the band's home page, on iTunes, or right here at MySpace using the Willie August Project / Ben Nimbit MP3 player! (See above)
The Willie August Project and Ben Siems are represented for distribution by NorthCountry Distributors, Redwood, New York.
To listen to additional MP3s, use the A&R select IPlayer here! NOTE: When you click on a song title, there may be a 5-10 second delay before that song starts playing. Thanks, and sorry for the temporary inconvenience. Also, the "Buy Now" button is deactivated. To purchase MP3s, use the Nimbit MP3 player above.
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