WILLIE PICKENS began his career on Eddie Harris’ 1961 national hit record, Exodus, since then playing with James Moody, Roy Eldridge, Max Roach, Clark Terry, and so many more. But instead of joining the national and international jazz scene, Willie chose to make his home in Hyde Park, becoming a public school teacher, an active member of the Hyde Park Union Church, and a mentor to scores of upcoming musicians. The Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich writes that Willie’s intense dramatic performances result from his “large and complex chords, his great splashes of color and dissonance in the right hand and his barrelhouse octaves in the left.” Willie is joined by Larry Gray, bass, and Robert Shy, drums.
Website: http://www.williepickensjazz.com/
