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Willie Myette

Willie Myette Jazz Keyboardist, Composer, Author, Teacher Artist Profile There is a way that most people do things. There are trends and styles; common mistakes and Murphy’s Law. However, Berklee College of Music graduate, Willie Myette has been bucking the system for most of his adult life. Shortly after graduating from Berklee in ‘96 with a degree in Film Music, Willie set out to live as a jazz performer. He started by returning home to Rhode Island, where his father had taught him piano. Like those before him and after, he taught to make a steady income. Wanting to teach jazz and improvisation to his students, he looked for materials that mirrored his own free- formed musical upbringing. What he found was material that did not encompass the freedom and creativity that he was accustomed to. So, he wrote his own music for his young students. Giving his songs catchy titles like Jessica’s Blues and Dustin’s Da Man, JazzKids® was born with the goal of teaching young students how to improvise. Willie has written almost a dozen books on teaching improvisation to young students. In addition, he has presented JazzKids at conferences around the U.S. and workshops in the United Kingdom. Soon, the attention at these conferences caught the attention of some very big names in the publishing industry. MelBay, a company best known for its guitar method, published Willie’s first collection of JazzKids songs. Soon, Alfred Publishing, perhaps one of the biggest names in printed educational music, signed Willie to create music for them. Willie has not stopped there. We all know that old adage, “Those that can’t, teach.” Once again this mold has been broken in Willie’s case. While perfecting the JazzKids method in the 90’s, Willie was also busy performing and writing. In 2002 he met bassist and Berklee professor John Funkhouser. This meeting of the musical minds proved to be quite fruitful. Adding to the dynamic relationship that already existed between Willie and drummer Mike Connors, bringing Funkhouser aboard created a truly special musical group. In 2004, combining his love of hiking and jazz, Willie formed the group Katahdin’s Edge with Connors and Funkhouser. Their 2004 release, Step Away on Myette’s own Incline Records label, garnered stellar reviews by the media. C. Michael Bailey from allaboutjazz.com wrote “This is a superb piece of avant- garde jazz that should satisfy fans from everyone from Harry Connick to Medski, Martin and Wood.” Now was the time to hit the road.

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141
Album Review

Willie Myette Trio: This is Jazz

Read "This is Jazz" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Especially in this world of fragmented formats such as the abominable “smooth jazz," Berklee-trained performer and instructor Willie Myette has chosen an ambitious and even hubric title for his debut album. Though he may not cover all the Basies, and though he may occassionally seem as if his sense of “Jazz" as an entire genre disappeared with Gershwin, Myette mixes standard compositions with more contemproary insights for a collection which, if not encyclopedic, is at least a good primer for ...

178
Album Review

Willie Myette:

Read "" reviewed by David Adler


This is the promising debut of Willie Myette, a straight-ahead player based in Providence, Rhode Island. The Berklee- and Fred Hersch-trained pianist offers up seven standards, as well as Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom" and an original waltz titled “Ella’s Song" — dedicated not to the first lady of song, but to Myette’s daughter. Joining Myette is the solid rhythm team of bassist Mark Carlsen and drummer Jack Menna, both of whom are at their best on an up-tempo version ...

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Please check out http://www.pianowithwillie.com for more info.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Step Away

Incline Records
2004

buy

This is Jazz

JazzKids Records
2003

buy

Videos

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