Artist description Jaik Willis Acoustic music Normal Illinois Jaik Willis is a singer/ multi-instrumentalist. Live he often focuses on acoustic music. The CD "Loose Excuse For A Muse" highlights Jaik's songwriting in various genres reflecting his varied interests and wide musical background. Jaik wrote and produced all of the material for the CD; performing the vocals, guitars, bass, ukuleles, charango, didgeridoo, congas, harmonica, laser printer, percussion. Bradford Lenart performs on the drum set and timbales. The 9 tracks each show different facets of Jaik's musical stylings in a studio context. Jaik often performs solo or in a duo with Zack Grant doubling on guitar and vocals, or in an electric quartet called the Emergency Broadcast System, featuring added bass and drums. The group focuses mostly on original material with select cover material including everything from Woody Guthrie to Steel Pulse to Ray Charles to Lauryn Hill and others. Jaik is an educated musician, having trained at Berklee college of music in Boston, Illinois and California State Universities' music departments, and was the youngest student in Hollywood's Musician's Institute when he was 16 years-old, practicing an average of 10-12 hours per day for all of his teen-age years. After studying jazz and Euro-classical music, Jaik received an anthropology degree with a thesis on micro-tonal guitar music from Mauritania. Jaik was part of a number of regionally successful bands in Illinois including; the Seed Band, Brother Jed, Blu Lou; before striking out on his own. He has opened for acts such as the Drovers, Leftover Salmon, and Victor Wooten. Jaik recently performed on stage with acoustic blues dynamo, Corey Harris and has just returned from his second highly successful tour of the Rocky Mountains this year. He is seeking performance opportunities and new avenues forward for his music. Jaik can be contacted most easily at jaikwillis@hotmail.com,

Similar Artists jaik willis, emergency broadcast system

Artist History see artist description

Group Members The Emergency Broadcast System Normal Illinois The Emergency Broadcast System is a musical quartet that focuses on original music with a message from a diverse range of influences, from rock to soul, from Cuban to bluegrass, from jazz to funk, Haitian kompa, and reggae. The group consists of songwriter/singer/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Jaik Willis, Zack Grant on acoustic guitars, vocals and percussion, John Perona on bass, and Bradford Lenart on drumset and timbales. While playing mostly original music, the group also covers music by artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Niel Young, Sun-Ra, and Lauryn Hill. The group's primary songwriter, Jaik Willis, is a former member of the Seed Band and Brother Jed. He has studied music at Berklee College of Music, Guitar Institute, and California and Illinois State Universities. He performs on instruments ranging from ukulele, and Bolivian charango, to didgeridoo and conga, harmonicas and laser printers, bass, guitar and 4 octaves of vocals , on the group's CD -"Loose Excuse For A Muse". Drummer Bradford Lenart successfully combines influences from jazz percussionists like Billy Kilson and Roy Haynes, with strong Latin flavors and heavy duty funk with a keen ear for musicality and phrasing. Acoustic guitarist and vocalist Zack Grant brings American roots music into the group with old time flavors strummed and flat-picked with a farmer's hand; with a taste for Caribbean traditions. John Perona, the newest member on bass, comes from a background in fusion and rock like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Primus. The EBS is the materialization of long time musical partnerships spanning years. The System has been mainly performing on the Illinois college circuit but has recently returned from a second highly succesful tour of the Rocky mountain region. The Emergency Broadcast System can be contacted most easily at jaikwillis@hotmail.com,

Instruments vocals,guitars, bass, ukuleles, charango, didgeridoo, congas, harmonica, laser printer,

Albums Loose Excuse for a Muse

Additional Info Visit Jaik's web site for up to date upcoming shows, catalog, and mor info.

Location Normal, ILLINOIS - USA

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