Winds of the World by Annie Wenz

Annie is celebrating the release of her fifth independent recording "Winds of the World", an instrumental "magical multi-cultural musical journey", featuring indigenous flutes from around the world!

BUT it all started long ago...

Originally from Queens New York, from a family of 7 children, Annie's musical career hit the scene full tilt in Northampton, MA in 1992 at the Iron Horse Concert Hall when, after years of studying piano composition with Hartford Conservatory's Ray Cassarino, percussion with conga/cuatro virtuoso Jose Gonzalez of Puerto Rico, guitar with Viva Quetzal's Joe Belmont, and wading through notebooks full of songs, she finally celebrated the release of her long awaited first CD...

She's been on the move ever since...

At first a regular in the New England acoustic scene as a soloist & in the world/multicultural scene with her band "Gypsy Moon", her passion for "dancing with the muse" led her abroad, where she found herself collaborating & sharing her music with audiences as far away as Auckland New Zealand's Millennium celebration, venues in Bali, Thailand, Sweden, Mexico, Australia & Costa Rica, and being invited by noted Swedish Director & Playwright Carl Johan Seth to record for the Swedish TV/theater production "Dream Woman"...

"Each song is a crafted jewel"... Annie's songs are "remarkable both for the lyrical insights she presents as well as for the deliciously eclectic way in which she offers them... haunting & powerful"... like looking through a brilliant kaleidescope. Annie sings about our loves, passions & fears, about travel, spirit, & her own experiences... working as a registered psychiatric nurse, bungee jumping 150 feet off a bridge with her guitar on her back, climbing an erupting volcano in Costa Rica, as a rafting guide, a backhoe operator, delivering babies in Harlan County KY, running in a 100 mile relay with Penobscott Indian women to Mt. Katahdin, backpacking around the world through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Bali, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, & India.

As a multi-instrumentalist with a love for American & world roots music, Annie is known for her unique way of blending textures & funky instrumentation. She accompanies herself (and others) on guitar, percussion instruments from all over the world, Native American & indigenous flutes, & piano. Her music has been compared to Joni Mitchell, Richard Thompson & N.Carlos Nakai.

Annie's band & accompanists have included world renowned artists such as Senegalize talking drum wizard Massamba Djop (of Baba Mal's band), percussionist/cuatro master Jose Gonzalez, balafon player Tony Vacca ("Rhythm Culture"), "Viva Quetzal's" multi talented Eugenio Huanca, Guy DeVito ("Steppenwolf"), & most recently & frequently in Costa Rica, London's Robert Dean known for his work with Sinead O'Connor as well as his own band "Japan".

Annie's recordings receive crossover airplay on folk, alternative, roots, world, jazz & new age stations! Her CD's "Gypsy Moon" & "Time is Magic" were recorded by Grammy/Emmy award winning engineer Norman Blain, known for his work with Yusef Lateef & Steven Schoenberg. "Time is Magic", produced by Norman Blain also features artists Glen Velez, Duke Levine, Brooks Williams & Annie Burns (Burns Sisters). Her CD "Poets Dance" co-produced by Tom Prasada Rao, is also a brilliant work of musical art & poetry... with each instrument (over 20) played by either Annie or Tom.

Annie has had numerous appearances at Florida's Suwannee Springfest & Magnoliafest, Earth Day (Dia Mundial de Ambiente)- Montezuma Costa Rica; Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, as well as teaching regularly at the prestigious Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Song School. She was honored to be a participating artist in the international collaboration between German & American roots artists, the DAFT Tour, http://www.daft-tour.com/ ,performing at The Kennedy Center in honor of Veterans Day in November of 2004, and will continue the collaboration in Germany in September/October of 2005!

Annie has been a radio guest & shared stages with award winning Civil War maritime historical novelist Robert N. Macomber for her song "Onward & Upward Bound" written about Robert's character Peter Wake. They plan many more appearances & collaborations in the future!

As an activist and a teacher, Annie has been awarded various grants from the National Endowment For The Arts & numerous Arts Councils for her diversity & educational programs, performance & percussion workshops which focus on bringing people together using multicultural music & rhythms as a medium. Annie's wellness workshops draw on her background as a nurse & alternative medicine practitioner, assisting artists in finding balance on & off the road.

Annie has also been a frequent featured artist in concerts "Remembering Phil Ochs" throughout the US, hosted by the late great activist/artist's DJ sister Sonny Ochs. http://www.sonnyochs.com/

She is sponsored by Elixir Guitar Strings by Gore... and will be a featured artist in the "Naked Folk Calendar 2006" (on her Harley- of course;)

http://www.nakedfolkcalendar.com

When Annie's not on the road performing, she kayaks, rides her motorcycle, plants bananas... hibiscus... & dreams... on a small island in Southwest Florida.

© 2005 Annie Wenz

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