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Dan Willis

About Me

Dan Willis Bio 2010 Dan Willis, one of New York City’s most active and versatile woodwind specialists, performs regularly across a wide spectrum of music from Jazz to New Music. He is currently touring with his own group Velvet Gentlemen, John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, and Brazilian Jazz Guitarist, Sandro Albert. Most recently, Mr. Willis has become the newest member of the multi media ensemble ‘VIA’ (Vision Into Art) and is featured on their latest recording “Traveling Songs” playing Saxes, Oboes, Duduk (traditional Armenian folk double-reed instruments) and the EWI (electronic wind instrument). Dan has also been a regular addition to the N.Y Pops, and N.Y. Philharmonic. All of these endeavors attest to the rich vocabulary within Dan’s musical language. In addition to his work in the classical genre, he has toured Japan and the U.S. with Michael Brecker's Grammy winning Ensemble 'Quindectet', performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, toured with Don Henley, and arranged for Bone, Thug and Harmony. Dan is also a member of the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble (“Eternal Interlude”, Grammy Nominated) and recorded on the Duduk as a featured artist for the new Rob Thomas solo CD single “All That I Am.”(Grammy Nominated) As a much sought after woodwind doubler, Mr. Willis has played on thirteen Broadway Cast Recordings and is currently performing in the Broadway Musical, “West Side Story” (Grammy Winner-2010 Best Recording). In October 2008, Dan performed with Elton John and Friends recreating the 1973 classic performance, “Good Bye Yellow Brick Road”. Mr. Willis most recently was featured on The CBS Evening News with Anthony Mason. “Musician Wears Many Hats For Broadway…” Dan has also appeared on 60 Minutes with Bono and The Edge for an upcoming production of Spider Man- ‘Turn Off The Dark’.

Mr. Willis’ work can also be heard on T.V jingles for Trix, E-Bay, Snapple, Coors, Miller Lite, and Hershey's, as well as Super Bowl XLII, “The Price Is Right”, “Monday Night Football,“ Nick Jr.'s, “The Backyardigans,” “Little Einstein's”, PBS’s “Masterpiece Theatre” and ESPN’s Roger Maris documentary. On the big screen, Dan has contributed to the film scores for I Sell The Dead, Joe Gould's Secret, The American Ruling Class, Capitalism: A Love Affair and has performed as a featured extra in the motion picture, Mona Lisa Smile. Dan is also a frequent collaborator to the Baby Einstein Classical Music Educational Series performing on Flute, Oboe, English Horn and Clarinet. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Dan studied the Oboe with Dr. Richard Killmer, Jazz with Bill Dobbins and Ramon Ricker, and arranging with Rayburn Wright. Mr. Willis released his third solo CD, 'Velvet Gentlemen' (OmniTone) 2006 where Dan recorded seven different instruments including the Suona and the Zurna. In February of 2010, he will release his fourth cd, ‘The Satie Project’, putting his own twist on 14 classic Erik Satie compositions. Dan Willis is currently recording ‘The Satie Project’ volume II for release in spring 2011 (Daywood Drive Records).