found this endorsement on A.P news, even the president wants you to click here to buy the record
Influences
Hunger, Dennis Kucinich, Coltrane, Dimi Mint Abba, Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ani Difranco, Woody Guthrie, Steve Earle, Fela Kuti, Tom Petty, Backyard Tire Fire, Samba Mapangala, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Amy Winehouse, Miles Davis, The Last Poets, Hank I & III, Marvin Gaye, Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Misfits, Patty Griffin, Stevie Wonder, Eric Nassau, Lucinda Williams, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Guns N Roses, Rachel Ries, Chicago Farmer, Bjork, Dylan Bob, Mahatma Ghandi, Leon Czolgosz
Sounds Like
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ani Difranco, Woody Guthrie, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Steve Earle, Fela Kuti, Samba Mapangala, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Miles Davis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Patty Griffin, The Misfits, Bjork, Bob Dylan, Keller Williams, Marvin Gaye, Xavier Rudd, Wilco, Bright Eyes, John Coltrane, Dimi Mint Abba, Gillian Welch, Joni Mitchell, early Buddy Guy, early Michael Jackson, Bobby McFerrin, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Kurt Elling, Music Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ani Difranco, Woody Guthrie, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Steve Earle, Fela Kuti, Samba Mapangala, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Miles Davis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Patty Griffin, The Misfits, Bjork, Bob Dylan, Keller Williams, Marvin Gaye, Xavier Rudd, Wilco, Bright Eyes, John Coltrane, Dimi Mint Abba, Gillian Welch, Joni Mitchell, early Buddy Guy, early Michael Jackson, Bobby McFerrin, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Kurt Elling, Music Self Portrait - Jaik Willis 7/4/08
Superstition(S.Wonder) - Jaik Willis sitting in with JOBU 9/27/08
BIG SKY - Live at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park OH - Waterfest 8/16/08
Jaik Willis -" Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots " by the Flaming Lips at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park 8/16/08
Interview & Live Clip from Chicago3media at Kinetic Playground 3/29/09
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)
"You a bad motherfucker" - (Billy Branch, 11/08)
Jaik is a nationally touring performer based in the Chicago area. He has shared bills with artists such as Big Brother & the Holding Company, 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, Ekoostik Hookah, Tea Leaf Green, Split Lip Rayfield, Devon Allman & Honeytribe, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, and Victor Wooten; and performed on stage with acoustic blues dynamo, Corey Harris, and Chicago blues legend Billy Branch as well. 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, Summer Camp in Illinois and Horning’s Hideout Amphitheatre in Oregon. Summer of 2008 he was featured at 15 music festivals around the country. Summer of 2009 looks to be even bigger, having already played prime-time main stage slots at Cavefest and Chicago's Metronome Celebration street festival, along with 8(!) appearances at this year's Summer Camp Festival on a bill with Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, Umphreys McGee, Moe, Les Claypool, Keller Williams, MMW & Scofield, Cornmeal, etc. He is also featured at the 2009 Bonnaroo festival with a 10pm friday set in the gap between the Beastie Boys & Phish.
Jaik’s song “Leaving Vancouver” was featured on the front page of the Chicago Sun Times website accompanying an article and a 2 page photograph in the paper itself. His song Checks & Balances was featured on Neil Young's website. He is featured on the Mo’ Phunk Records compilation “Re-Fuel Your Soul” along with groups like Stroke 9 (top 10 hit “Little Black Backpack”) and Lucky Boys Confusion (Elektra records).
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.
Hey Jaik! thanks for the invite and heads up on the Festy Fest i would really love to go, but unfortinatley i have to work = /. Please keep me updated on ur shows and festys you will be attending.
Hey Jaik how was the riverboat music cruise? I got a nice comment on my page about you,take a look at it. The guy who wrote it is a young artist you should check out his page and look at his art,really talented.
things r goin pretty good round these parts! rothbury is only a week away so i have been gettin campin stuff 2gether this week. Theigvat said he ren into u at bonaroo!! pretty ironic! glad 2 see u made the lineup! peace
Hey it was good seein u at summercamp and the grocery store!..lol hope u cross that fence into rothbury!! its always lovely seeing you! hoope all is well much love and support always Stephanie
I am for sure gonna be at your privates party... maybe we should make this one a no pants party?? anyway carolyn, aaron and i will be there ready to dance our pants off if pants are even required in the first place. See ya soon! -<3- kat
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