The Wendy Woo Trio

Denver DIY queen Wendy Woo is hardworking and prolific; Luxury, whose release is being celebrated on Friday, March 23, at a Fox Theatre party opened by the Chris Webb Band, is Woo's seventh CD since 1997. This time, however, the disc is credited to the Wendy Woo Trio as a...

By Michael Roberts

March 22, 2007

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Denver DIY queen Wendy Woo is hardworking and prolific; Luxury, whose release is being celebrated on Friday, March 23, at a Fox Theatre party opened by the Chris Webb Band, is Woo's seventh CD since 1997. This time, however, the disc is credited to the Wendy Woo Trio as a way of marking the contributions of bassist Mitch DeZwarte and drummer Chris Maestas. That's appropriate, since the recording's best moments are those in which the players inject some toughness into their employer's familiar sound.

There's nothing particularly wrong with "Out of My Head Over You" or "Afraid of the Dark"; Woo has cut plenty of tunes like this before, and she'll do so again. More interesting, though, are "Knowledge," which sports a dramatic arrangement and impassioned vocals; "Luxury," featuring memorable call-and-response background singing and a strong guitar solo; and "I Don't Know," a reggae rocker marked by something resembling edginess.

That's the power of three.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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