From one of the best music towns in the country, Boulder, Colorado, comes a singer/songwriter who has been one of its driving forces, Wendy Woo.
Like the community which inspired her, Woo displays a blend of soul, vibrancy, and wild child attitude. A passionate live performer who connects instantly with her audiences, she has been playing to sold out venues every week.
Whether playing by herself or with her band, she draws you in and holds you there. Her voice is simultaneously intimate and assured. Her songs are wide-ranging in style but always pure in emotion: from down and dirty blues to defiant ex-lover funks to summer day sambas to wistful ballads. Her guitar-playing includes fretwork riffs so unusual they always generate cheers.
Her talent has not gone unnoticed. Her music has been featured in "Uncommon Goals," a 1999 Discovery Channel documentary about the gold medal-winning U.S. women's soccer team, and on the Food Network's "FoodNation with Bobby Flay."
Woo grew up in Boulder where her parents, Jane, an artist, and Bataan, a poet, were faculty members of the legendary Naropa Institute, co-founded by Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Local music critics have lauded her as a significant member of Boulder's "organic" music scene.
Her musical experience includes studying classical guitar and music theory in college, working at Boulder's most famous music venue, the Fox Theater, organizing the Women from Mars (an on-going music festival), and serving as a producer for multiple projects including CDs for herself and Sally Taylor, daughter of Carly Simon and James Taylor.
Woo has released four CDs, displaying a wide variety of styles. "Angels in the Crowd" (1997) is a collection of mellow jazz and folk-inspired ballads. "Wide Awake and Dreaming" (1999) is a full band production with funk and jazz rhythms. "Ecolalia" (2000) features Woo's songs and acoustic guitar interwoven with her father's poetry. "Gonna Wear Red" (2002) is a tightly produced series of rock tunes with touches of funk, blues, and folk featuring intricate acoustic and electric guitar styles and Woo's sweet and powerful voice.
Woo plays widely within Colorado and has been touring regionally and on both coasts.
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| A brand new song recorded live in concert March 15, 2003. An expansive, melodic, acoustic song which will resonate with people who draw strength from their surroundings and their dreams. Listen to it and get yourself into a Colorado state of mind. |
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Credits: Woo wrote and performs the song. |
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| Woo just returned from Nashville where she was invited to appear at the legendary Bluebird Cafe. This is one of the songs she performed there. It begins by wistfully recalling an ex-lover and ends by aggressively cataloging the benefits of having him gone. Also known as the "cat in the drawer" song. |
CD: Gonna Wear Red
Label: WooMusic
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| A full-bodied blues tune with an extended funk groove. Quintessential Woo Band. Recorded live at a September 2001 concert. |
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Credits: Music and lyrics by Woo, who also does vocals and guitar. Jimmy Lange on keyboards. Edwin Hurwitz on bass. Brian McRae on drums. |
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| Rough mix from a studio session June 26, 2002. A work in progress. A very upbeat "on-the-road" song with a pop spin. It was introduced in concert a few months ago and fans immediately began requesting a recorded version. |
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Credits: Music and lyrics by Woo, who also does vocals and guitar. |
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| A Woo Band live show fan favorite which is not available on any CD. This version runs about 12 minutes. (There's about 30 seconds of bass feedback at around the 10 minute mark, so we may upload a different version later on. But until then, enjoy.) Recorded live at a December 14, 2002 concert. |
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Credits: Music and lyrics by Wendy Woo, who also does vocals and guitar. Edwin Hurwitz on bass. Jimmy Lange on keyboards and backup vocals. Chris Maestes on drums. |
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| A Woo acoustic classic. |
CD: Gonna Wear Red
Label: WooMusic
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| Features one of Woo's unique "harmonic scats" -- which involves turning her acoustic guitar into a multidimensional percussion instrument. |
CD: Gonna Wear Red
Label: WooMusic
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| Recorded live at a September 2001 concert. The CD version is jazzier; the live version is funkier and has longer grooves. "... Woo's dexterous music works its way into your consciousness like an Edward Hopper painting or a shot of smooth rum." (Kristen Sherwood, Colorado Springs Independent) |
CD: Wide Awake and Dreaming
Label: Sky Trail Productions
Credits: Music and lyrics by Woo, who also does vocals and guitar. Jimmy Lange on keyboards. Edwin Hurwitz on bass. Brian McRae on drums. |
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| The sun goes down and the dancing starts. Think calypso funk. |
CD: Wide Awake and Dreaming
Label: Sky Trail Productions
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| Mellow, jazzy, samba-like. Might especially appeal to Norah Jones fans. |
CD: Wide Awake and Dreaming
Label: Sky Trail Productions
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| Folk ... rock ... chanting. |
CD: Angels in the Crowd
Label: Sky Trail
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| Breezy. Has a bossa nova/samba feel (e.g., "The Girl from Ipanema"). About wanting "a little more" in life. |
CD: Angels in the Crowd
Label: Sky Trail Productions
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| Staccato beat ... electric guitar ... reverb. A hint of blues. |
CD: Gonna Wear Red
Label: WooMusic
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| Recorded live at an October 26, 2002 concert. The CD version: jazz/mellow. The live version: funk/attitude. |
CD: Wide Awake and Dreaming
Label: Sky Trail Productions
Credits: Music and lyrics by Woo, who also does guitar and vocals. Jimmy Lange does backup vocals and keyboards. Chris Maestes on drums. Edwin Hurwitz on bass. |
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| The song, "Fear," was written and performed by Wendy Woo. The poem, "The Watchman's Song," was written and read by Bataan Faigao. "Ecolalia" tells the story of a man's life. This piece, which ends the section on birth, opens with Woo, fades to Faigao, and concludes with Woo. The song has a sweet, lullaby quality to it. Very simple: Woo's voice and acoustic guitar and a little cello. |
CD: Ecolalia
Label: Sky Trail Productions
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| "The Road Keeps Going" was written and read by Bataan Faigao. "Another Day in the Life" was written and performed by Wendy Woo. "Ecolalia" is the story of a man's life told in music and poetry. This track opens the section on life. It begins with a few lines read by Faigao and then continues with Woo's song. Folk with blues undertones. Very striped down: just Woo's voice and acoustic guitar. |
CD: Ecolalia
Label: Sky Trail Productions
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