<h2>Katharine Guiles Ellis</h2><p><strong>Katharine (Kat) Guiles Ellis</strong> is a CCJA trained vocalist who is currently studying jazz at C.U. Boulder. She is a featured vocalist with the Denver Jazz Orchestra and performs regularly with the PB&amp;V Trio as well as her own ensemble.  Her gift of expression and storytelling using her authentic and emotive voice lets her cover tunes ranging from reflective to torchy, witty to sorrowful, as evidenced on her ensemble debut album release, “Talking to Myself” (September 19, 2025) </p><p>Joining Kat for duo gigs is guitarist Dr. Marcus Firillo. This is a new collaboration based on a similar passion for finding simple beauty and making music based on tight communication and trust.</p><p></p><h2>Marcus Firillo</h2><p>Guitarist and composer <strong>Marcus Firillo</strong> is from New Haven, Connecticut, where he began playing professionally at fifteen. He worked with organist Johnny Hammond Smith when he was just sixteen and collaborated with critically acclaimed classical composer and jazz pianist Willam Thomas McKinley while still in high school. He earned a scholarship to study at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston before relocating to New York City. His first New York gigs were in a guitar trio with Roy Haynes on drums and Richard Davis on bass. He has a wide range of experience in creative improvised music, as well as the New York recording studios. In addition to leading his own groups, he has played with some of the giants of jazz, including:</p><p>Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Haynes, Tony Willams, Bobby Hutcherson, Chico Hamilton, Joe Henderson, Richard Davis, Rashied Ali, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, George Adams, Ray Barretto, Tom Harrell, Stanley Cowell, Cecil McBee, Andy Bey, Sheila Jordan, Robin Kenyata, and many others. He has performed at most of the major jazz festivals in America and Europe including the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City. You may have heard him on the Front Range playing with Rico Jones.</p><p>Kat and Marcus don’t have any recordings together, yet, but they have jammed together and have found a kindred soul in each other.</p>