Hawaii’s Renaissance Woman
Hawaii’s Renaissance Woman
Willow’s versatility embraces such genres as Broadway show tunes, Jazz, American Standards, French Melodie, art songs, madrigals, choral works, R&B, funk, world beat and ’80s pop. Her diversity is evident with the groups she’s been the lead vocalist for: Swingwood Revue (neo and classic Big Band), Plush Nugget (funk and R&B), Paradise Sisters and Co. (Top 40) and The Hot Club of Hulaville (Gypsy Django Reinhardt Jazz).
For over 20 years, Willow has specialized in jazz standards and contemporary cabaret. Audiences find her mesmerizing and memorable through her great song choices, vibrant delivery, her witty humor, engaging rapport and impeccable, elegant stage presence.
Since 2008, and returning to the band in 2012, Willow has been the chanteuse with The Hot Club of Hulaville. Specializing in Jazz, Gypsy Django Reinhardt stylings, chansons, showtunes, novelty music and American Songbook fare, they add flair, panache and style to any event! Willow carefully selects songs that reflect the eras that span from the early 20s throughout the early 60s, shifting with ease from blues to bossa nova, torch songs to ballads, and from English to French and an ocassional scat singing. She completes the feel with unique insights to the music, humor and of course her well know kazoo skills! Together, Hotclub of Hulaville have played at various events and venues, from the historic Hawaii Theater & Maui’s Mac with John Pizzarelli trio, the Gypsy Fest with the John Jorgenson Quintet, at the Doris Duke Theater, Maui’s Jazz Festival, Kauai’s All Angels Jazz Festival, the Chocolate Festival at Dole Cannery, concerts at Hawaii Public Radio, corporate parties and events, the closing ceremony for Hawaii Polo’s Great Gatsby Fete and Honolulu Magazine’s Hale Aina Awards to name a few!
Willow has been singing for audiences since she was 7 and has been studying voice since she was 13. Among her early vocal achievements, she was invited into the exclusive Punahou Chorale and select honor choir, which performed in Japan, and was a representative for the Hawai‘i State Honor Choir. She contiued her choral studies in choirs at sarah Lawrence College and the University of Hawaii, and recently returned to choral works, participating in the 2013 Choral Festival at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Hawaii.
At Sarah Lawrence College, she studied vocal literature, sight singing, composition and music theory. Willow graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa with a minor in music. She is recognized by musicians for her excellent pitch, tone and musicality, in addition to her ability to ‘shift gears’ and musical genres. Her well trained ear translates into ease of singing in numerous languages, including German, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Latin, Russian, Spanish, French, Turkish and Arabic, to name a few.
Willow, continues to study voice, and has studied with Julianne Cross, Erik Haines, Eddye Pierce-Young, Jean Wentworth, Vicky Gorman, Annette Johansson, Larry Paxton and Theresa Bomberger. Since 2001, she’s had weekly training in the, Bel Canto technique with renowned Maestra Neva Rego, of the famed La Scala Opera. In 2008, she was a finalist in Hawaii Public Radio’s Art Song Contest, with her rendition of Aaron Copland/Emily Dickenson song The World Feels Dusty.
Internationally, Willow has performed at the Club Piano Piano in the Cairo World Trade Center, the Cairo Jazz Club in Mohandessen, Egypt and the Sakiat al Sawy Cultural center in Zamalek, Egypt. She’s had impromptu vocal performances at Le Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Paris, France with musician Nikerson, in Montreux, Switzerland and was prominently featured as a singer and dancer with Don Tiki at Berlin’s House of World Culture’s Wassermusik Festival in 2008.
From 2003-2009,Willow was a featured lead vocal soloist and dance artist with The Forbidden World of Don Tiki (Hawai‘i exotica). With them, Willow headlined at Turtle Bay Hilton’s Jazz Festival, the Honolulu Symphony and with the legendary late Martin Denny at the Historic Hawai‘i Theater, the Hawaiian Hut, Aloha Tower, the Tapa Bar at Hilton Hawaiian Village and numerous TV appearances on Night Time with Andy Bumatai. In 2008, she performed with Don Tiki in Las Vegas in January, and in July in Berlin, Germany at the House of World Culture’s Wasser Musikfestival,
and well as the outer islands.
On the Islands, she has had steady engagements at Michel’s at the Colony Surf, the Ship’s Tavern at the historic Sheraton Moana Surfrider, O‘ahu Country Club, MidPacific Country Club, Café Che Pasta, monthly jazz at the Hanohano Room and The Dragon Upstairs. She sings for exclusive events, ranging from wine tastings and art openings to conventions, and is much in demand for gala and fundraising events (Hawaiian Humane Society, Hawaii Opera Theater, Juvenile Diabetes, Diamond Head Theater, Hawai‘i Theater for Youth, Honolulu Academy of Arts and opening celebrations for the Waikiki Tiffany & Co. store, to name a few). Locally, she's been a part of the Slack key Guitar Festival with Jeff Peterson, the Hawaii Books and Music Fair and Honolulu Magazine's Hale Aina Awards Gala and Best Lawyers Social.
Willow placed in the top three in the juried 2006 Hapa Haole Song & Dance Contest by performing an original composition. Her original music was featured on the Discover Recycling soundtrack CD, alongside cuts from Henry Kapono and Jack Johnson. Recently, she recorded a duet with singer John Valentine, slated for release in 2010.
Willow has written and composed original songs, completed her first demo of jazz standards and has recently produced her own showcase entitled Songs of the Season, at the Hawaii Public Radio Atherton Studio. She believes in the universality of music, and values all it has to offer.
Willow has collaborated with many fine musicians including:
Allan Alexander
Aaron Aronita
Gilbert Batangan
Lopaka Colon
Adela Chu
Tom Chun
Kit Ebersbach
Yvonne Elliman
Rod Esteban
Eric Folk
Dan Furst
James Kraft
Amina Goodyear
Carmine Guida
Anita Hall
Deshannon Higa
Rockford “Rocky” Holmes
The Honolulu Symphony
Kevin Hughes
Miles Jackson
Steve Jones
Souhail Kaspar
Joshua Kaye
James Kraft
Abe Lagrimas Jr.
Georges Lammam
Mark Lindberg
Jeff Linsky
Kiana Luna
Reggae McGowan
Andrew McLellan
Sonya Mendez
Bobbie Nishida
Jason Nobriga
Noel Okimoto
Jon Osorio
Noli Pa‘a
Duane Padilla
Reggie Padilla
Marc Pearlman
Les Peetz
Jeff Peterson
Ernie Provencher
Steve Rosenthal
Greg Sardinha
Kit Samson
Hossam Shaker
Naseer Shama
Joel Spier
Jonathon ‘Intrepid’ Sypert
Mark Tanouye
Bettie Loo Taylor
Sandy Tsukiyama
Jason Tom
John Valentine
Chris VanderCook
Svemir Vranko
The late Abe Weinstein
David Yamasaki
Chris Yeh
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