Biographies

Dennis Fortin
Acoustic Lead Guitar

Dennis began playing guitar at age seven and spent his childhood years growing up in Southern California. He moved to the Bay Area in the 1970's where he developed an interest in other forms of music beyond Rock & Roll, including Jazz, Blues, R&B, Country and Bluegrass. Now living in El Cerrito, Dennis devotes most of his musical time playing jazz and gypsy swing. In addition to Eclair de Lune, Dennis also plays with notable Bay Area bands such as "The JayByrds" and "On The Air". Dennis also teaches music at Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp.

James Pickrel
Acoustic Rhythm Guitar

Jim initially made his mark on the San Francisco music scene as a jazz drummer, playing with such Bay Area luminaries as Joe Henderson, Jessica Williams, Joe Bonner, Eddie Henderson and Will Bernard. Having been bitten badly by the gypsy jazz bug, and following studies with masters of the genre such as Paul Mehling, Gonzalo Bergara, Kevin Nolan and Mathieu Chatelain, he is now adding his creative drive as a rhythm guitarist to the growing local gypsy jazz scene.

Cote Reese
Accordion

Cote, who has his musical roots as a hard rocking Texas blues keyboard player, has discovered a special talent and passion for the accordion. He has played in bands that have shared the stage with well-known artists such as Delbert McClinton and Doug Sahm of The Sir Douglas Quintet fame as well as being a long standing keyboardist of The Texas Manglers and local favorite soul/funk/R&B band "East Bay Mudd". Cote is also founding member, composer and arranger for "ThirdWire".

Dave Fischer
Acoustic Bass

After early successes playing in blues, rock, and psychedelic jam bands back East, Dave split for the Coast in 1976, where he landed a gig with the popular San Francisco group, Swing Swift. Other notable stints included Big Sky, the Cow Bay Cruise Boys, and the Colorblind James Experience. He's also currently performing with a variety of bands, including "The Jolly Gibsons", "On the Air", and the Strange Attractors.

Danny Bittker
Clarinet

Danny Bittker has played woodwinds and steel drums in a wide variety of musical ensembles and contexts. He has performed worldwide with Mo' Fone, Mitch Woods, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Calypso Rose, Bonnie Raitt, Grover Washington Jr., Andy and Jeff Narell, and many others. He hails from New Haven, Conn. but has been based in the Bay Area since 1981.

Long standing members of the extended EDL community

(musicians who have played with us in the past or play with us from time to time)

Calvin Keaoola - Violin
Ned Ripple - Guitar - Hot Club of Marin, On The Air
Kit Eakle - Violin - Hot Club of Marin
Bob Akers - Sax and Clarinet - On The Air
Magali Sanscartier - Violin
Carlos Foster - Guitar
Phil Lawrence - Mandolin
Bobbi Nikles - Violin
Eli Noyes - Accordion
Randy Frank - Guitar
Sean Silverman - Bass
Mark Wieder - Bass
Reed Cooper - Bass
Peter Herbert - Drums
Paul Mehling - Hot Club of SF, Le Jazz Hot
Ray Landsberg - Violin
Julian Smedley - Violin
Sylvia Herold - Guitar, Vocals
Jeff Taylor - Horns, Guitar
Steve Gibson - Guitar
Lucy Southern - Violin
Tom Bekeny - Mandolin, Violin - Missing Man Quartet, Kathy Kallick Band

Copyright (c) 2015 Dennis Fortin
Photos by Mark Altenberg