Juli Wood

For the past twenty years with three albums as a leader, several studio projects as a side man, and countless worldwide performances, saxophonist, vocalist and composer Juli Wood has established herself as a solid, swinging, lyrical and entertaining performer on Chicago's music scene. Juli has played many jazz clubs and festivals nationally and internationally; Chicago Jazz Fest, Hyde Park Jazz Fest, Milwaukee's Summerfest, Chicago's main jazz clubs - Jazz Showcase, Green Mill, Andy's and Katerina's. Skansen Jazz and Blues (Stockholm, Sweden), Pori Jazz Fest (Finland), Bent J's club (Aarhus, Denmark), Storyville (Helsinki Finland), Arlandia Jazz Fest (Aaland Islands, Finland) to name a few.
Currently Juli is working on a recording of Finnish folk songs. "My grandparents all came from Finland to the USA in the early 1900's. I grew up hearing the music and my parents taught me a little of the Finnish language. I was on my yearly trip to Finland last summer to play a few festivals and clubs, and was listening to Art Farmer's recording of Swedish folk songs called "To Sweden with "ove." It hit me then that I should make a CD of the simple and hauntingly beautiful Finnish folk songs, instrumentally and in a jazz style." The CD , called "Dark Forest" or "Synkkä Metsä" in Finnish , will be coming out on the Origin label in August, 2015. It features Alejandro Urzagaste - guitar, Clark Sommers - bass and Mike Schlick - drums. - See more at: http://originarts.com/oa2/artists/artist.php?Artist_ID=139#sthash.WoD9vXpS.dpuf