His music comes from his wide variety of sources. He also has the background that most jazz musicians from the 'golden era of jazz' never had-a concise education. The curriculum at Eastman is demanding and most who graduate have a sense of what music means to them. They have dealt with Jazz and Classical music on equal levels and have entered the professional world as few do-totally equipped to handle almost any musical situation. As Dan Willis has entered the professional jazz milieu, he has combined his education with the experience of living in New York City.
Manhattan is a difficult place for jazz musicians to find their place.
The City is filled with many musicians who are struggling to find a niche in this insane Mecca for creative artists but are constantly challenged by things that were never taught in school. There is an element of exclusion in New York City which will discourage even the most accomplished musician, and the only rules are the ones that are made and changed by people who cannot play an instrument at any level. You see many young musicians come in to this scene with an idealistic and somewhat naive approach to the jazz business and soon are caught up in the politics of the jazz world. Only musicians who have a strong sense of what kind of music they want to play will flourish in this environment. Dan Willis has a strong sense of who he is as a musician and the kind of music he wants to compose and record that will define him.