John M. Willis

I’ve been playing music in one form another since I was a teenager. I began as a rock and heavy metal bassist (think Billy Sheehan in the 1980s), later taking up the guitar as well. Though primarily self-taught, I did spend a few years taking lessons with the late Jack Brengle, a jazz guitarist and bassist who played with Henry Mancini, Buddy Rich, and Jimmy Raney among others. He was a phenomenal musician and a colorful (cantankerous?) personality, though he made me realize in short order that I was not destined to become a great jazz bassist.

Although I am a fan of many different genres—the early CBGB scene, New Wave, post-bop jazz, the music of Bollywood cinema in the 70s and 80s (R. D. Burman, etc.), minimalism—I especially love modern and experimental guitar playing. If you’ve never come across some of the more unconventional players, check out some these amazing guitarists: Nels Cline, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, Mary Halvorson, Hans Reichel, Anthony Pirogue, David Torn, Mike Baggetta, Elliot Sharpe, Fred Frith, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Janet Feder, and Marc Ducret. The Guitar Moderne webzine is a great place to start if you feel compelled to learn more.

I’ll post recordings here and there when I have time to make music (I’ve added some older clips below), but in the meantime I’ll invite you to check out the work of the “real” musician in the Willis family, my brother P. Andrew Willis, a Boston-based composer and musician, and his company Titlecard Music,

Gaza ‘23, improvised solo guitar

Image: "Gaza Guernica 21: Hunger stalks the Children," by Juan Cole, Digital, Dream/Horror v 3/ IbisPaint/ PS Express, 2024

Faust - It’s a Rainy Day (Sunshine Girl)

2023

A cover of the song “It’s a Rainy Day (Sunshine Girl)” from the German experimental band, Faust, from their 1972 album Faust So Far.

Music for “Dune”

2021

This was a bit of experiment: writing music for the “folding space” scene from the movie Dune (1984). The original score was by Toto/Brian Eno. I kept the original dialogue, otherwise everything else is new.