Kellie Fuller & the Mike Greensill Trio: Cool Yule

Napa Valley and San Francisco Bay Area vocalist Kellie Fuller has a soulful voice with a tremendous range who “sings the story”, expressing the feeling and nuance of each song with her phrasing and vocal dynamics. Audiences feel like a part of the show as much as they are spectators, and as San Francisco Examiner writer Kenneth Fish states, “When the charming Kellie Fuller sings, it is as if she is singing to you and only you.” Kellie is a regular favorite at the iconic Blue Note Napa Jazz Club and her other notable appearances include opening for Manhattan Transfer, singing with the Napa Valley Symphony and sharing the stage with several accomplished artists including Wesla Whitfield, David Pack, Terry Bradford and Alto Reed. “Kellie Fuller is an amazingly versatile vocalist, one who handles Jazz, Blues, R&B and gems from The Great American Songbook with equal blends of style and grace,” Jim Harrington, Pop Music Critic for Bay Area News Group.
Photo credit Bob McClenahan

Well known in his role as musical director to acclaimed vocalist Wesla Whitfield with whom he has recorded twenty albums, Mike Greensill has played for many venues and shows including Sedge Thomson's weekly Public Radio West Coast Live, San Francisco’s The Rrazz Room and Society Cafe', New York's Carnegie Hall and The Metropolitan Room and more.

After graduating in 1972 from Leeds College of Music in England, Mike toured Europe and the Far East and lived in Hong Kong for 4 years before finally settling into his adopted home, San Francisco, in 1977.
 Well known in his role as musical director to acclaimed vocalist Wesla Whitfield with whom he has recorded twenty albums, Mike is also resident piano player on Sedge Thomson's weekly Public Radio show to the world, "West Coast Live" - more info at wcl.org. As an arranger Mike, in addition to his work with Wesla, has had the opportunity to write for big bands and symphony orchestras including the Boston Pops and the San Francisco Symphony.
Mike has also had the pleasure of accompanying such diverse talents as Rita Moreno, Margaret Whiting, Broadway stars Lillias White and Franc D'Ambrosio and jazz singers Madeline Eastman, Ann Hampton Callaway and Opie Bellas.

"Greensill is an accompanist in the great tradition of Jimmy Rowles and Ellis Larkins.

It's worth twice the price of admission just to hear him!" - Terry Teachout - NY Daily News

Phillip Elwood, jazz writer for the San Francisco Examiner states -
"Greensill is a wonderful jazz pianist."

Ruth Davies, a Bay Area native, has performed with jazz and blues greats Charles Brown, Clark Terry, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Jay McShann, Van Morrison, Maria Muldaur, Junior Mance, Linda Tiller, Barbara Dane, Barbara Morrison, Etta Jones, Elvis Costello, Eric Bibb, Keb'Mo', Terry Gibbs, Jimmy Witherspoon and Little Jimmy Scott. Her discography (including several Platinum and Grammy-winning recordings, covers various jazz and blues styles as well as movie soundtracks.

She toured the world for ten years with the late Charles Brown, performing at major jazz festivals and concerts and on radio and television broadcasts worldwide. Ruth continues to spend considerable time abroad. She has recorded and performed internationally with Maria Muldaur, Denise Jannah, Dmitri Matheny and European pianist/composer Amina Figarova. Lately she has "returned to the roots" and travels with Elvin Bishop's band.

Ruth believes in teaching and in bringing music to the public schools. She has been on the faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for 17 years and has had a very successful "Ruth Davies Blues Night" series at the Stanford Jazz Festival. The San Francisco Symphony’s "Adventures in Music" program and the "Just Say Jazz" project deliver music education to the classroom. By any conservative estimate, Ruth has presented music programs to over two thousand school groups. That's a serious commitment.

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent," said Victor Hugo. Perhaps that is the key to Ruth's musical life.