WILLA VINCITORE & COMPANY
"If you are new to Vincitore, let me try to prepare you, she can sing like an angel and a demon. She’s versatile and sings jazz, blues, R&B, and soul and somehow makes them all sound wonderful...[she] is a great singer in a field populated by good singers. She has the tone and range that can make you fall in love, get angry, or weep from the sheer emotion of the song. She’s also a very savvy songwriter who has crafted these songs perfectly to suit her vocal approach." -- Professor Johnny P's Juke Joint
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"Willa is one artist you will not be able to put into any of the neat little boxes the music industry likes to use in their efforts to promote and sell product...like a fine bourbon, her voice is smooth as silk, has a light smoky tone, and a little bite on the end. From pop, rock and R&B to Americana, gospel and blues, this is one woman who can pull it off and give everything that subtle touch of soul. Call it whatever you want, this is just great music." -- Reflections in Blue blogger, Bill Wilson
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"She's proven that she can write songs and sing with the best of them, with her range, emotive quality and tons of power." -- Making A Scene
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"Willa Vincitore is a fantastic songwriter who uses melodies like a switchblade and has a soulful voice that can go way, way down low and also hit high notes that only dogs can hear..." -- Rocking Magpie (UK)
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“An extended member of the Levon Helm bunch, Willa serves up a debut [Better Days] full of the rollicking kind of blues that gets filtered through Hudson Valley water with it's unmistakable Bearsville, etc. vibe. It's two generations later, but the local crew on board here sounds like the local crew that was on board for Bonnie Raitt's "Give It Up" with a vibe that's very much in the same pocket. A right on set for people that like it when hippies took it to church, sometimes it hits you hard the after hours is a defined time. Well done.” -- Midwest Record
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"Willa’s compositions are an equal mix of soul, blues, and a bit of pop, with that stellar voice bringing it all home...[she] gives fans a little bit of everything in “Better Days.” She showcases her original works with an excellent crew of musicians, and a voice that simply cannot be denied. More, please!" -- Sheryl and Don Crow, Nashville Blues Society
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“Powerful, soulful and empowering, Better Days is a funky and uplifting experience. This disc feels like a throwback to the 70’s for its power and passion. It’s an eclectic mix of blues, soul, rock, funk and occasional pop that you don’t hear all that often these days, a powerful tonic for when you need music to lift you up and carry you away to that safe place where you can recharge your batteries. Fans have compared Willa to Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland and Bonnie Raitt, with a twist of Janis Joplin thrown in, which is to say her voice is quite powerful and virtually impossible to ignore. I also dig how stylistically mixed this record is, from the gentle folk/ pop of Caroline to the rolling blues/ funk of the opening track Love Looks Good On Me. As a singer Willa is a force of nature and the command she wields over her formidable instrument is impressive. This is a record with heart, guts and balls.” – The Rock Doctor, John Kereiff
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“[Better Days] consists entirely of self-penned songs, some of which sound strong enough to become standards. Her horn-spiced, eight-member band impresses, too, but the main attraction here is Willa’s arresting voice, which adapts effortlessly to fit up-tempo material and ballads that blur barriers between blues, rock, soul, and pop. On standouts like “Hooked on You” and the title cut, she recalls such artists as Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, and Janis Joplin while staking out her own special space.” -- Jeff Burger
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"She has a very large and versatile vocal technique and she’s not a screamer. She just seems to turn up the fullness of singing. She sings with terrific confidence as well. Her style is also rather varied: soul, blues, funk and even some pop. On this disc [Better Days], she focuses on soul and blues but she also sings a variety of styles in those genres. … This is a super fine disc – variety, power, tight playing, and wonderful, super fine vocals by Ms. Willa herself! Definitely, one to catch and watch out for!" -- Professor Bebop (WTJU--Virginia)
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“Willa shows her many talents in complementary registers, passing along nuggets of soul and treasures of blues roots with an always hot and racy voice, the true voice of diva … A first personal album that confirms the presence of Willa Vincitore among the very great ladies of the blues!” – Fred Delforge, Les ZicaZine (France)
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“What The F * ck !!! This Willa Vincitore is a wake-up call for those who are in Europe responsible for booking excellent music in our clubs and at our festivals ... Blues with a soulful voice that you can listen to from the 'minute one' to the speakers. ... as if we are experiencing the sixties soul back ... is food for the soul rockers among us ... funk ... Delta ... we get a more than varied album from Willa and Company.” -- Rootsville (European Blues Union)
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“I had never heard of Hudson Valley, New York-based singer Willa Vincitore before, but right from the opening notes of the romping up tempo blues ‘Love Looks Good On Me’, with its excellent vocal, gospel styled chorus, blaring horns, sharp guitar and rollicking rhythm section, I knew I would want to hear more. Nor did this album disappoint: ‘Stop Drop And Roll’ brings the funk forward, ‘Hooked On You’ harks back to classic soul, and ‘Hey Little Sister’ is dirty blues-rock with its heavy riffing and fierce break by guitarist Chris Vitarello, and some fine wailing blues-harp by Willa’s former boss Chris O’Leary (a long-time member of Levon Helm's Barn Burners Band) backing up a powerhouse vocal by Willa. This variety of styles continues throughout the album, from the jazz-tinted soul ballad of the title track, the slinky ‘Say What’ and the folky singer-songwriter style of ‘Caroline’ to the slide driven R&B strut of ‘Mama Needs Some Company’, the jazzy ‘Opposite Of Lonely’ (particularly the trumpet playing of Reggie Pittman) and the closing, Delta styled guitar and vocal of ‘Demons’. As I say, I came to this not really knowing what to expect – but I am already looking forward to the follow-up.” -- by Norman John Darwen, FlyingShoes (UK)
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"Whether Willa is alone with a slide guitar 'Demons' or with the full orchestra with powerful choruses 'Love Looks Good On Me' she is everywhere at ease and does it without fail. As much as the aggressive guitar supports titles like 'Hey little Sister' or 'Mama Needs Some Company' so much we are lulled by titles like 'Caroline' where we are on a cloud or 'Look What We've Done' where you only have to let go to be carried away in a style where soul flirts with pop. Perhaps we will see one day written: Award for best first record. Do we ever know?" – Caesar, Blues Again (France)