Music
Press
...... The new CD mixes compositions by those legendary composers as well as some wonderful original songs by Maxine Willan. “Sunny City Samba (Samba La Ville Ensoleillé) is an infectious upbeat tune which stands out on the CD. “Melodies come fairly easy for me. I don’t really remember how I wrote that one; it was originally called “City Beach Samba” but the alliteration of “Sunny City Samba” flowed better. It is a little different from my other songs and I am pleased it is getting good response. “
‘February Dreaming (Rêve du fevrier) “Another Australian beach inspired song which can happen to me in February here in Toronto.” Willan says, “the same for Punta Cana which I composed after returning from a wonderful family reunion holiday in the Dominican Republic. I originally wrote the motif for Punta Cana as a big band arrangement that would have had a different title, but it didn’t quite work (too high for the trumpets) and so “Punta Cana” was born.”
- Cashbox Canada magazine
Discography
Alone and Together - Released in 1998
Touching You - 2009
Receiving airplay on jazz stations throughout Canada, the U.S. and Australia.
Photos
Bio
Toronto musician, Maxine Willan works as a full time pianist in Canada performing in clubs and miscellaneous engagements in the Toronto area. Maxine works as a soloist as well as in jazz ensembles,big swing bands and musical theatre. Born in Perth, Western Australia, she emigrated to Canada after falling in love with the North American jazz greats, the first one being Louis Armstrong, then Duke Ellington and later Thelonius Monk. Maxine completed her classical piano degree in Australia and in Canada she studied jazz, pop and modern orchestration and arranging with Canada's finest teachers and musicians. On her latest cd she combines the standards with some of her own compositions, and mixes solo piano with jazz duo, trio and quartet.
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