Originally from Chicago, guitarist George Cotsirilos
has been a member of the San Francisco Bay
Area jazz community for many years and has performed with a wide
variety of artists, from San
Francisco jazz fixtures like Eddie Marshall, Mel Martin, Pharaoh
Sanders, and Mark Levine to
internationally recognized blues singer Etta James, Bill Evans bassist
Chuck Israels, and the
jazz/soul vocal group, The Whispers.
In addition to working as an accompanist, along with bassist Robb
Fisher he was co-leader of the San Francisco Nighthawks, which
included legendary drummer Eddie Marshall and pianist Paul Nagel. The
group
recorded for Monarch Records and performed at the Monterey Jazz
Festival.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Cotsirilos
studied classical guitar privately through the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music and jazz with renowned musician and educator
Warren Nunes.
The Quartet's latest recording, "Refuge", was released in 2022.
George appeared previously at Chez Hanny with the George Cotsirilos
Trio and Quartet.
Pianist Keith Saunders spent his formative years in
Los Angeles where he studied with Charlie Shoemake and Horace Silver.
Keith worked extensively in L.A. with such well known artists as Eddie
Harris, Roy McCurdy, Bill Holman, and
Bill Watrous, as well as recording with Dick
Berk's Jazz Adoption Agency.
After moving to New York City in 1984, Keith worked and/or recorded
with Richie Cole, Richie Vitale, Hank Crawford, Mickey Roker, Ralph
LaLama, Frank Wess, and Valery Ponamarev. In 1991, Keith
became the leader of The NY HardBop
Quintet, a cooperative unit featuring Joe Magnarelli and Jerry Weldon,
which released four recordings for the TCB Montreux Jazz label.
Relocated to the Bay Area, Keith appears with Calvin Keys,
Noel Jewkes,
Jim Grantham, Chris Amberger, Patrick Wolff, Erik Jekabson, Smith
Dobson, Peppe Merolla, and Dave Rocha.
Keith appeared previously at Chez Hanny with the Robb Fisher-Keith
Saunders Trio, Frank Tusa, Peck Allmond, Michael Zilber, Dave Rocha,
Erik Jekabson, Noel Jewkes, George Cotsirilos, and the Keith Saunders
Trio.
For over six years, bassist Robb Fisher
toured and recorded with the legendary Cal Tjader, anchoring Cal's
Grammy Award winning album, "La Onda Va Bien" and Grammy Nominee album,
"Gozame Pero Ya." He has also worked extensively and recorded with such
jazz and Latin luminaries as Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Carmen McRae,
Tania María, Clare Fischer, Rob Schneidermann, Eddie
Marshall, Dick Whittington, and Anita O’Day.
Robb appeared here previously with Doug Webb, Jon Mayer, Charlie
McCarthy, George Cotsirilos, Rob Schneiderman, and the Robb
Fisher-Keith Saunders Trio.
Drummer Ron Marabuto
grew up in the East Bay, playing with and greatly influenced by his
father, John Marabuto, a pianist and arranger busy and respected in the
Bay Area.
After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1974 Ron relocated to NYC 1977-87,
where he played with the likes of Pepper Adams, Roland Hanna, Tommy
Flanagan, Duke Jordan, Jerry Dodgion, Frank Wess, Steve Grossman, and
Sal Nistico.
Back in SF since 1987, he has been active with Bruce Forman, Smith
Dobson, Buddy Montgomery, Rob Schneiderman, Al Plank, Hal Stein, Calvin
Keys, Warren Gale, Noel Jewkes, Bob Kenmotsu, Gini Wilson, and Walter
Savage, among others.
Ron appeared previously at Chez Hanny with Chuck Metcalf, the Chuck
Metcalf Tribute, Mark Levine, Will Matthews, Chuck Manning, George
Cotsirilos, and the
Robb Fisher-Keith Saunders Trio.