Annie Wenz... Past band members include Senegalize talking drum wizard Massamba Djop (of Baba Mal’s band), percussionist/cuatro master Jose Gonzalez, balafon player Tony Vacca (“Rhythm Culture”), “Viva Quetzal’s” multi talented Eugenio Huanca, Guy DeVito (“Steppenwolf”), & most recently & frequently in Costa Rica, London’s Robert Dean known for his work with Sinead O’Connor as well as his own band “Japan”.
Influences
Baba Olatungi, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Carlos Santana, My Grandma, Aretha Franklin, Ani Difranco, Tom Waits, Phil Ochs, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Marian McPartland, Bill Evans, Junoon, Salman Ahmad, Pete Seeger, Martin Luther King Jr
Sounds Like
Well... I'd like to think I sound like myself... but reviewers have compared what I do to everything from Joni Mitchell, Richard Thompson & Ani Difranco to Carlos Nakai, Paul Simon & Mickey Hart! Depends on what I'm doing & what day it is!
ANNIE WENZ...
…”a poet on the road, blending in with the people of different lands from South America to Ireland. Annie has stayed a spell, embraced the people, understood their plight, shared songs and enriched herself as much as her new found friends”...
That after her year 2000 backpacking trip around the world (written by M Plumbley/DJ/Isle of Wight, England)
But that's just one side of Annie! "So many roads, so little time!" Annie's newest muse-a rama has led her from backpacking jungles to bike... Harley that is. From the Dragons Tail in the US to the twisting switchback cliffs of the Costa Brava in Spain, Annie's circling about with Guitar & Native American flute in one saddlebag & drum in another, writing about the natty characters she "shares a few with" from hovel to hacienda... & performing at festivals & events sround the globe! (does it get ANY better? She doesn't THINK SO!) Her newest song "Ride" was recorded in NYC by Grammy Award winning producer Ben Wisch (of Mark Cohn's brilliant song "Walking in Memphis") & performed with Guitarist extraordinaire Walter Parks (Richie Havens guitarist) & the rest of his rocking trio "Swamp Cabbage". Jagoda as drum/percussion wizz & Matt Lindsay on throbbing bass. The song will soon be available online for digital download. (so stay tuned!) The group is already planning on shaking the ground at some throbbin biker events in the upcoming year. We'll keep you posted!
Before that, Annie celebrating the release of her fifth independent recording “Winds of the World”, a totally different world! "Winds" is an instrumental “magical multi-cultural musical journey”, featuring indigenous flutes from around the world! (AND now being used by yoga, massage & wellness practitioners internationally!!!) The CD has done so well, Annie plans to record another (after the biker CD;), but the new instrumental recording plans to include songs & influences from her journeys to Pakistan & India...
Annie's road to wherever all started long ago…
Originally from New York, NY (Queens), from a family of 7 children, Annie’s musical career hit the scene full tilt in Northampton, MA in 1992 at the Iron Horse Concert Hall when, after years of studying piano composition with Hartford Conservatory’s Ray Cassarino, percussion with conga/cuatro virtuoso Jose Gonzalez of Puerto Rico, guitar with Viva Quetzal’s Joe Belmont, and wading through notebooks full of songs, she finally celebrated the release of her long awaited first CD…
She’s been on the move ever since…
At first a regular in the New England acoustic scene as a soloist & in the world/multicultural scene with her band “Gypsy Moon”, her passion for “dancing with the muse” led her abroad, where she found herself collaborating & sharing her music with audiences as far away as Auckland New Zealand’s Millennium celebration, venues in Bali, Thailand, Sweden, Mexico, Australia & Costa Rica, and being invited by noted Swedish Director & Playwright Carl Johan Seth to record for the Swedish TV/theater production “Dream Woman”…
“Each song is a crafted jewel”… Annie’s songs are “remarkable both for the lyrical insights she presents as well as for the deliciously eclectic way in which she offers them… haunting & powerful”… like looking through a brilliant kaleidescope. Annie sings about our loves, passions & fears, about travel, spirit, & her own experiences… working as a registered psychiatric nurse, bungee jumping 150 feet off a bridge with her guitar on her back, climbing an erupting volcano in Costa Rica, as a rafting guide, a backhoe operator, delivering babies in Harlan County KY, running in a 100 mile relay with Penobscott Indian women to Mt. Katahdin, backpacking around the world through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Bali, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, & India.
As a multi-instrumentalist with a love for American & world roots music, & good ol classic Rock, Annie is known for her unique way of blending textures & funky instrumentation. She accompanies herself (and others) on guitar, percussion instruments from all over the world, Native American & indigenous flutes, & piano. Her music has been compared to Joni Mitchell, Richard Thompson, N.Carlos Nakai & Led Zeppelin meets Bonnie Raitt!
Annie’s band & accompanists have included world renowned artists such as Senegalize talking drum wizard Massamba Djop (of Baba Mal’s band), percussionist/cuatro master Jose Gonzalez, balafon player Tony Vacca (“Rhythm Culture”), “Viva Quetzal’s” multi talented Eugenio Huanca, Guy DeVito (“Steppenwolf”), & most recently & frequently in Costa Rica, London’s Robert Dean known for his work with Sinead O’Connor as well as his own band “Japan”.
Annie’s recordings receive crossover airplay on folk, alternative, roots, rock, world, jazz & new age stations! Her CD’s “Gypsy Moon” & “Time is Magic” were recorded by Grammy/Emmy award winning engineer Norman Blain, known for his work with Yusef Lateef & Steven Schoenberg. “Time is Magic”, produced by Norman Blain also features artists Glen Velez, Duke Levine, Brooks Williams & Annie Burns (Burns Sisters). Her CD “Poets Dance” co-produced by Tom Prasada Rao, is also a brilliant work of musical art & poetry... with each instrument (over 20) played by either Annie or Tom.
Annie has had numerous appearances at Florida’s Suwannee Springfest & Magnoliafest, Earth Day (Dia Mundial de Ambiente)- Montezuma Costa Rica; Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, as well as teaching regularly at the prestigious Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Song School. She was honored to be a participating artist in the international collaboration between German & American roots artists, the DAFT Tour, http://www.daft-tour.com/ ,performing at The Kennedy Center in honor of Veterans Day in November of 2004, and throughout Germany in September/October of 2005!
In June of 2006 Annie was invited to the earthquake zone in Pakistan as guest of M. Suumro (acting president at the time & now Premier) to perform & teach about therapeutic music & post traumatic stress for victims of Oct 2005 devastating earthquake. It was the experience of a lifetime & eventually led to Annie performing with Pakistani multi million record selling artist Salman Ahmad of "Junoon" & tabla master Jerry Leake!
Annie has been a radio guest & shared stages with award winning Civil War maritime historical novelist Robert N. Macomber for her song “Onward & Upward Bound” written about Robert’s character Peter Wake.
She's co written with Dr Jerri Nielsen of the book & movie "Ice Bound", a doctor's saga in the south pole.
As an activist and a teacher, Annie has been awarded various grants from the National Endowment For The Arts & numerous Arts Councils for her diversity & educational programs, performance & percussion workshops which focus on bringing people together using multicultural music & rhythms as a medium. Annie’s wellness workshops draw on her background as a nurse & alternative medicine practitioner, assisting artists in finding balance on & off the road.
Annie has also been a frequent featured artist in concerts "Remembering Phil Ochs" throughout the US, hosted by the late great activist/artist's DJ sister Sonny Ochs. http://www.sonnyochs.com/
She is sponsored by Elixir Guitar Strings by Gore, http://www.elixirstrings.com/ ,
by Island Flutes http://www.islandflutes.com/
… and "Rocky Mountain Slides" http://www.rockymountainslides.com/
When Annie's not on the road performing, she rides her Harley, kayaks, fishes, plants bananas… hibiscus… & dreams… on a small island in Southwest Florida.
I think you'll like this short clip of Michelle playing her wood flute. We were in a 100+ year old church at the Homeland Heritage Park in Homeland, FL. The acoustics in there were amazing!
GREAT blog, Sweet Sista A! Wooo Hooo! If any of you 'friends' out there haven't read it, please do so - now - and then get to work! We've too much to lose and an awful lot to gain. Thank you Annie! love love love, sista E
Hi Annie, We are in Milwaukee, WI, for the 105th of Harley! We are having a blast. Saw your Naked Folk pix, that Jane did...you on a Harley. You should be here! Come for the 110th! I will ride out next time, from PA, instead of riding bitch! Hugs and keep your shiny side up, Judi Z
