Cody is a folk-singer’s folk-singer and a poet’s poet. He was born and bred in Delavan IL, population 25, surrounded by the endless skies of the American Midwest. Before moving to Chicago in 2003, Cody tried his hand at sessions in Nashville and carefully hewed and tested his art in college town bars and honky-tonks around the Midwest. He now plays regularly in the city and it’s not uncommon to see whole rooms full of strangers erupt and sing along to the choruses of his songs on their first listen (I’ve seen it happen). Cody’s voice is powerful and gritty, emotionally piercing while subtly imbuing additional layers of meaning and poignancy in his lyrical delivery. His song-writing is deeply rooted in the American Folk tradition and all of its grit but with a post Dylan sense of wit, perspicacity and that certain savior-faire. He didn’t go to college but he drank all of their beer.Every folk-singer has to migrate to the city, in a way it seems to be hidden in definition of a folk singer anymore. Cody has come to remind Chicago that it is in Illinois. And to remind the rest of the world that when Louis Armstrong redefined, some say invented the art of Jazz in the 1920′s he brought his Hot Fives to Chicago to do it. When Robert Johnson wanted to put his Mississippi Mud on wax, his hellhound chased him to Chicago to do it. And same like, Cody has come to Chicago to deliver what it needs, when it isn’t even sure itself. He is currently recording a collection of songs from his vast back-catalog and performing across the heartland.

Music, by its nature, is a migratory creature. It moves as it moves, often powerfully, through people and places, communities and cultures, created and carried on currents of electricity and air. Edward David Anderson is one of its modern makers, a rock and roll veteran from the cornfields of Illinois, who went into the woods of coastal Alabama and found musical serendipity, emerging with Lower Alabama: The Loxley Sessions—a timeless, unvarnished beauty of an album.

"The standout set of the day was Jaik Willis. As a one man band, this guy’s energy alone is astonishing. He doesn’t just sing, he belts his lyrics out, all while hammering on his guitar, dancing around, and stomping his feet as if the energy of his music is just flowing out of every end. His songwriting style is really unique as well; he doesn’t always use hooks or choruses, instead often weaving these extended prose-poetic verses filled with candid humor. The acoustic Flying V guitar might suggest rock star but Willis is a genuine raconteur, as unpretentious as it gets. Near the end of his set is where things got even better. Following a shout of “Beat Box!” from the back of the barn, Willis said, “That sounds like a request” and jumped into a dazzling ten minute improvised beat box version of “Superstitious.” He went from spinning folk rock yarns to spitting a sharp, almost electronic-sounding remix of a funky classic… with only his mouth and a microphone. Jaik Willis is one hell of a talented musician." - (Soundfuse Magazine). "Whether playing progressive folk music on his acoustic guitar, beat boxing while singing at the same time, shredding an electric guitar for a jazz project or yodeling for Bassnectar, Jaik Willis always has tricks up his sleeve and the ability to impress in so many ways." -J-man (MusicMarauders: News, Reviews & More). "Jaik is a hardcore troubadour somewhere in between Steve Earle and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He has wandered around the USA like a modern minstrel, surfing sofas, car camping, and paying dues to sing the blues. It is a high energy solo show featuring Jaik's horn-like voice darting around a blistering broken-string approach to his acoustic flying V guitar, with original songs that are accessible, and message driven" - (Chicago Jams). “He has a most unique soaring falsetto and a wild eyes rolled in the back of his head fierce guitar style. He writes original songs, including a fantastic song about Freedom (the gas station). Jaik's sound is somewhere between Anti-Folk and The Band and it is unlike anything I've heard from anyone else. His energy is fierce, his vocal range is inhuman, his beard is long.You've gotta check this guy out.”- ( Independent Music Center )