Updated: July 13, 2025
After a few years of focusing on Sax and Flute I am back to doing only guitar work. Who knows what will happen next. At any rate you can check out the latest guitar work by following the link below.
Latest release https://lostcatmagnet.bandcamp.com/album/sessions-24
Top Three Editor's Pick - Guitar Player Magazine - Dec. 2010 (WD-41+2 Album)
Contact: [email protected]
"I’m pretty much self taught. I learned Jazz and rock on the street. If you are fine with that then we can talk. I’m fine with it. I play guitar, sax and flute, most of time. People mostly wrote about the guitar playing. I really enjoy flute although I don't have that much of it out there on recordings. I love a good melody on a tenor saxophone and for 4 or 5 years that was my main focus. Lately I've been back to focusing on guitar."
“I've always been an explorer and this need for change drives me to new frontiers. While some are cautious about change for me it's about accepting it. I played flute in my late teens after borrowing my sister's flute, since she was not very interested in it, and played professionally for several years in the early part of my career along with guitar, bass and pedal steel, whatever seemed to be needed. Around this same time, I had an old Conn sax that I played for maybe a year until both the flute and sax needed more work than I could afford at the time. (see tragedy and time off from music in bio below) When I came back to music after several years off I focused on guitar for a few reasons, one being I was living on a sailboat with not much space and guitar was small enough to use on the boat and compose. I did not think about getting back to flute and sax until I had produced a few guitar-based albums but alas, here I am and looking forward to recording and performing anyway I can get it out”
Willie Oteri is an anomaly in the music world having survived tragedy and financial hardship that forced him to quit music as a profession in the early part of his career. After nearly ten years away from performing and most of this time not even owning an instrument Oteri came back to music, first part-time then full. Older, wiser and as eager and excited as anyone to again have a life of music. With a small budget he released two well-received blues/rock albums in the late ‘90s before moving to Austin Texas where he quickly befriended some of Austin’s top Jazz musicians leading to the 2000 release of Willie Oteri’s Jazz Gunn, Concepts of MateMaToot with Chris Maresh, Brannen Temple, Michael Malone and Chris Tondre. Wanting to further pursue the freedom of electric Jazz and improvisation Oteri contracted producer Ronan Chris Murphy (King Crimson, Chucho Valdes ) to produce Spiral Out (2003-2005) a modern jazz album featuring King Crimson and Zappa alums Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Mike Keneally with the added help of Austin trumpeter Ephraim Owens in an improvised environment. The success of this DIW (Diskunion Japan) release produced tours in Europe and Japan. In 2003 Oteri rented an apartment in Padova Italy and spent nearly 4 years bouncing back and fourth from the States to Italy touring regularly in Italy, Germany and Slovakia. Several performances included musicians from the cult- favorite, Spiral Out: Pat Mastelotto, Tony Levin, and Ronan Chris Murphy as well as other adventurous musical visionaries like Chris Boulet and Markus Reuter. During this time Oteri co-hosted the ambitious Super Sessions seeded by Chris Boulet. These performances were named for their lengthy non- stop goals of 14, 33 1/3, and 45 hours! This would soon lead to the first Super Session in the United States (Phoenix, AZ) before his return to Austin in 2008. In Austin Oteri began working with trumpeter Dave Laczko forming their duo, WD-41. Their first release soon followed with the self- titled album in 2009 whose success quickly lead to the release of WD-41+2 Temi Per Cinema (2010) featuring the talents of guest musicians Dino J.A. Deane and Scott Amendola.
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O'Clock Trio: Sessions 24
by Glenn Astarita
The trio's Sessions 24 is an EP that clocks in around 15 minutes and serves as a sonic adventure that leans hard into the wild world of effects-driven soundscapes. Spearheaded by Willie Oteri's guitar wizardry, Ricardo Acevedo's (also known as Lost Cat Magnet) pulsating beats, synths and samples, with Tiago da Silva's anchoring bass and percussion, it is less about jazz's conventional swing and more about crafting immersive improvisation and electrified textures that pulse with raw energy. “Billy ...
Continue ReadingTake Five With Willie Oteri
by AAJ Staff
Meet Willie Oteri: An anomaly in the music world having survived tragedy and financial hardship that forced him to quit music as a profession during the early part of his career, Willie Oteri has come back to music. With a small budget he released two well-received blues/rock albums in the late '90s before moving to Austin, Texas where he befriended some of Austin's top jazz musicians. Wanting to pursue the freedom of electric jazz and improvisation, Oteri contracted producer ...
Continue ReadingShrunken Head Shop: Live in Germany
by Glenn Astarita
This international group is captured performing improvised music in Germany, featuring guest trumpeter Dave Laczko on three tracks that reside somewhere between Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970) era and experimental trumpeter Jon Hassell's work. Laczko and guitar whiz Willie Oteri have also recorded under the moniker WD-41. Indeed, both artists are known for pushing the envelope within progressive rock and avant, jazz fusion circles, assertively manifesting these exploratory processes here. The set is primarily constructed on slow ...
Continue ReadingWD-41+2: Temi Per Cinema
by Glenn Astarita
Temi Per Cinema is the follow-up to guitarist Willie Oteri and trumpeter Dave Laczko's self-produced WD-41 (2009), with the addition of lap steel dulcimer and beat jockey artist Dino J.A. Deane and drummer Scott Amendola. Collectively, the musicians have been at the forefront of new music-making, amid variable flavors and shades, bordering on the avant-garde, jazz-rock, electronica and other intertwining genres. Here, the WD-41+2 unit expands upon applications and concepts, first evidenced on the 2009 effort. At times, ...
Continue ReadingWillie Oteri / Dave Laczko: WD-41
by Glenn Astarita
The conceptual, avant-garde mode of electronics-based implementations receives a slender uplift, thanks to guitarist and effects maestro Willie Oteri's collaboration with trumpeter Dave Laczko. This 2009, download-only, release is a spacey trip; chock full of loops, streaming synth noises, and fractured sojourns into the cosmic void.
Oteri's résumé includes collaborations with latter-day King Crimson musicians and former Frank Zappa hired guns, among other notables. In light of this, he's obviously well-seasoned in the progressive rock realm, amid the ...
Continue ReadingWillie Oteri: Seek and Ye Shall Find
by Igor Petruska
One of the biggest draws to the Jazz for Sale festival as part of the ongoing Visegrad Days 2004 was without a doubt the performance of the American/Slovak Willie Oteri and the Oskar Rozsa Quartet. The excellent bass guitarist Oskar Rozsa, trumpet player, keyboards and sound experimenter Lubos Priehradnik, and drummer Marcel Buntaj - the Slovak part of the quartet need no introduction to regular readers of Music.box. Guitarist Willie Oteri, born in California, is a very respected player on ...
Continue ReadingWillie Oteri: Spiral Out
by Marco Piva
The eclectic US guitarist Willie Oteri, who played with or supported artists like Bob Seger, Neil Young, Doobie Brothers, Chaka Khan and Passenger and has been a member of Jazz Gunn, has the chance to cooperate with producer Ronan Chris Murphy (who has worked with King Crimson amongst others) for this Spiral Out that he records with such artists as the rhythm section of King Crimson (Tony Levin on bass and Pat Mastelotto on drums), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa) on ...
Continue ReadingWillie Oteri And Dark Matter Horns Dig Into Their Archives For Upcoming Album 'Ghosts Of Texas Past'
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Willie Oteri
Willie Oteri and Dark Matter Horns dig into their archives for upcoming album Ghosts of Texas Past. Available May 27, 2022 The new album features tracks taken from rehearsals recorded in 2018 in Austin Texas with Willie Oteri (tenor sax and flute), Dave Laczko (trumpet and effects) and Steve Mankenberg (drums) in a totally improvised environment, recorded with minimal equipment on 2 to 4 tracks. A decades long relationship between Oteri and Laczko produced several releases with Oteri jumping from ...
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Willie Oteri Releasing New Material Focusing On Saxophone And Flute
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Willie Oteri
Genre jumping multi-instrumentalist Willie Oteri will be releasing new material focusing on his tenor saxophone and flute playing which will include various artists such as drummer Matt Crane, guitarist Jeff Platz and electric trumpet master Dave Laczko. These recordings will be in the beyond jazz / free jazz / avant-garde arena while keeping in mind a presence for mood and melody. The first (Mind Meld), to be released on December 20, 2021 on various platforms is a duo with electric ...
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Celebrating Ten Years Of Jazz OUTside At Kenny Dorham's Backyard in Austin
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Willie Oteri
A festival in celebration of ten years of Jazz OUTside February 29, 2020 From 2:pm to 6:pm Kenny Dorham's Backyard 1106 E. 11th St. Austin, TX 78702 Ten years ago a residency, showcase and open jam session began at Kenny Dorham's Backyard in Austin Texas. The brainchild of bassist and curator Harold McMillan of Diverse Arts Culture Works and international musician Willie Oteri after seeing little to no support from Austin promoters ...
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Willie Oteri Announces New Project And New Releases
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Willie Oteri
Official Release Date for Dark Matter Horns: Narratives Vol. 2 – Spring 2019 Official Release Dates for O'clock: “The Nip," “Feb 25," “Riot in the Meadow," March 1st with more singles to follow during the year. Narratives Vol. 2 by Willie Oteri's Dark Matter Horns is the second release to focus on Oteri's tenor saxophone and flute work. He is joined here by long-time friend Dave Laczko on trumpet and veteran Austin drummer Steve Mankenberg. Recorded live in studio using ...
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Guitarist Willie Oteri Reissues Jazz Gunn's Concepts Of Matematoot
Source:
Suzanne Short
Re-release date May 15, 2015 “A skillful blend of jazz-fusion and improvisational rock... chock full of instrumental wizardry." —Austin Insight Magazine Originally released on May 15, 2000, Willie Oteri’s Jazz Gunn: Concepts of MateMaToot celebrates the beauties that fifteen years of technological progress and art can offer. This rerelease includes additional detailed artwork by Miko Zen as well as enhanced audio while keeping the original hot and cool sounds that were performed live and captured on tape by some of ...
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Willie Oteri Announces New Music Project And Show Dates
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Willie Oteri
Willie Oteri and Christopher David Boulet to terrorize parts of Northern Italy. The new Beyond Jazz collective named IKM will feature Willie Oteri on guitar and live loops, Christopher David Boulet on vocal manipulations and spoken word teamed with various third members including laptop beatjockey Max Del Genio who will be present for upcoming Italian shows. Willie Oteri has become a complicated figure in the world of Beyond Jazz and Avant-Garde. His improvised performances and recordings with WD-41, Shrunken Head ...
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12 Hour Non-stop Improvisation Will Raise Money For Austin Non-profit
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Willie Oteri
JAMGASM 2 - Super Session, breaking the music marathon improvisation record for Austin and Texas! An event to raise needed funds for the non-profit Diverse Arts Culture Works. Carousel Lounge 1110 East 52nd Street, Austin, Texas March 1st – noon to midnight. Featruing: Willie Oteri, Chris Maresh, Brannen Temple, Ephraim Owens, Joshua Thomson, Bruce Saunders, Dave Laczko, James Fenner, members of Brazilian Space Program, WD-41, Lost Cat, word/jazz lowstars and many more. Get ready for a music experience like none ...
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Marathon Jam Will Raise Needed Money For Kenny Dorham's Backyard Event Venue In Austin Texas
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Willie Oteri
JazzOutSide Super Session & Kenny Dorham's Backyard Fundraiser WD-41 featuring Willie Oteri Dave Laczko and friends, word/jazz lowstars, Brazilian Space Program and 20+ other talented musicians and improvisers Sunday, November 3rd, 2:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Kenny Dorham’s Backyard, 1106 E. 11th Austin, TX 78702 Cost: $5+ suggested donations Get ready for a jazz experience like none other in Austin! Following the success of the Jazz OUTside series started in 2012, DiverseArts presents Jazz OUTside Super Session, a music marathon ...
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Upcoming CD Release From Willie Oteri
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Willie Oteri
WILLIE OTERI and SHRUNKEN HEAD SHOP Live In Germany Release date: August 27, 2013 Recordings from German tour dates in 2012 of guitarist Willie Oteri (WD-41, Spiral Out, Dino J.A. Deane, Scott Amendola, Tony Levin, Mike Keneally, etc.) have produced several live tracks that have been edited and mixed for an album titled Shrunken Head Shop – Live In Germany to be released in CD format on August 27, 2013. Prior to the official CD release ...
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Shrunken Head Shop - Live In Germany
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Willie Oteri
SHRUNKEN HEAD SHOP Live In Germany Release date: Early 2013 Recent tour dates in Germany by guitarist Willie Oteri (Spiral Out, WD-41, Tony Levin, Mike Keneally, etc) have produced several live recordings that will be mixed and released with a new band name of Shrunken Head Shop. Look for a release date in January or February of 2013. Shrunken Head Shop is a core group of musicians from the United Sates and Germany, Willie Oteri - ...
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"Whatever is in Willie Oteri's water, I think it's high time that it was poured into the two dimensional cesspool which is what some of the homogenized and pasteurized modern music industry has become today." —-Bruce Stringer (Music street jounal)
"This is one of those CDs that entirely deserves to be heard by anyone who likes to live inside exotically compelling musical environments. It's rather beautiful too."—Gapplegate Music"
...goes beyond anything Charlie Parker or Miles Davis did during even the most experimental years of the Be-Bop jazz era, although there's some of that influence in this album, also. This is as much inspired by other avant-guarde artists such as John Cage, Edgard Varese, George Crumb, or Smegma..."—Dan FiebigerE-Mail music review newsletter.
