Pianist/vocalist and composer moved from Chicago to New York in 1997, after recording her debut album, Having to Ask, which was released on her own Tilapia label and, more recently, on the German Jazzline label. The shy Witkowski studied as a graduate student at DePaul and had performed regularly in Chicago. A globe-trotting performer, she has also led a trio in Brussels, taught and performed in Western Kenya and studied and played in Banff and Toronto in Canada. To top it all, she was a finalist in both the American Jazz Piano competition in Indianapolis and the jazz piano competition at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. While in Chicago, she played with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Rob Parton's Jazztech Big Band and the all female sextet SHE. Now in New York, she continues to play jazz around the city. In May 2000, she led her quintet at the Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival.
Playboy/Chicago Reader jazz critic Neil Tesser says "Her piano work is lovely and lithe, and her compositions -- many of which reflect a keen command of Afro-Caribbean music... -- are lively and promising." She does sing occasionally, but mostly as a complement to her expressive instrumentals. Her fantastic piano work is what sets her apart from the pack, however. Traditional and innovative at the same time, she can express soaring exultation as well as sublime introspection. She certainly has a fantastic future in the jazz world. She is joined on her fantastic new album by Jim Gailloreto (saxes, flute), Jonathan Paul (bass), Rob Amster (bass), Tom Hipskind (drums), and Jose Gregorio (percussion).
For more information, visit their website: http://www.deannawitkowski.com
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