Cecile Savage and Calvin "Koco" Brunson at Benny's Chop House at Benny's Chop House

Cécile Savage (bass and vocals) and Calvin “Koco” Brunson (piano and vocals), who co-lead the jazz group “Komango,” perform at Benny’s. They offer a culturally diverse repertoire steeped in the African American, French and Brazilian traditions.

Cécile Savage was born in Martinique, French West Indies, and grew up in Paris, France, where she studied piano. She moved to New York City in the early 70’s where she studied guitar with Ted Dunbar and joined Sugar Blue’s Blues Band, playing electric bass. It is with this band that she toured Europe and Africa. She composed music for Sugar Blue’s album “Crossroads.”...

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Cécile Savage (bass and vocals) and Calvin “Koco” Brunson (piano and vocals), who co-lead the jazz group “Komango,” perform at Benny’s. They offer a culturally diverse repertoire steeped in the African American, French and Brazilian traditions.

Cécile Savage was born in Martinique, French West Indies, and grew up in Paris, France, where she studied piano. She moved to New York City in the early 70’s where she studied guitar with Ted Dunbar and joined Sugar Blue’s Blues Band, playing electric bass. It is with this band that she toured Europe and Africa. She composed music for Sugar Blue’s album “Crossroads.”

She moved to Chicago in the early 80’s, where she studied the acoustic bass with Steve Lester from the CSO, and in Madison, WI, with Richard Davis. She studied voice at the Center for Voice and Vandercook College of Music.

As a bassist, she has worked with Von Freeman, some members of the AACM, Maggie Brown and many others. She has appeared in numerous clubs around the Chicago area as a singer and bassist. She played and sung at the Hotel Sofitel from 1993 to 1997. She often played the intimate Sunday evening Jazz set at the Green Dolphin. She also entertains for many private affairs such as the Marshall Fields fashion show and the French Market. She appeared at the 2004 Chicago Jazz Festival.

Her repertoire included many French songs, which became jazz standards such as Autumn Leaves, Jazz standards, Brazilian bossas and her own compositions. She is currently working at recording her CD.

With jazz, blues and musical theatre the major focus of his work, Calvin “Koco” Brunson has collaborated with the late, great playwright, Oscar Brown Jr. in writing plays entitled In De Beginnin’, Journey Through Forever, and Sliced Apple. Koco is also an “Artist-in-Residence” with Urban Gateways. Calvin “Koco” Brunson is a world-class musician, possessing deft keyboard skills and utilizing truly inventive harmonies to reah his audience.

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