Gini Wilson, known as The Duchess, is legendary in the Bay area as a brilliant jazz pianist, entertainer, and composer. She is the Director and the co-founder, with reedman Steve Heckman, of The San Francisco ChamberJazz Quartet. When not performing at concerts and festivals with the group, Gini performs regularly at well-known Bay area clubs such as Jazz at Pearls, Bacar and Shanghai 1930 in San Francisco. As a composer and music director, she has done television documentaries seen on PBS and was a regular on the NPR radio show “West Coast Live” where she was also noted for her irreverent sense of humor. She studied classical piano (M. Music) and studied composition with the American master George Crumb before dedicating herself primarily to jazz. As an educator and member of the Music Teachers of America, she teaches and adjudicates both classical and jazz disciplines in Marin County, California.
"The legendary Wilson is not just an outstanding pianist, she's also a witty entertainer ... a repertoire which includes Monk, Frederic Chopin, Astor Piazzola, Fats Waller, J.S. Bach and Bill Evans.” (Phil Elwood, San Francisco Examiner)
“Enormously gifted pianist and composer Gini Wilson (a.k.a. The Duchess) puts her own spin on the concept ‘chamberjazz’ ... on her CD The Crossing Point. Wilson performs an eclectic repertoire of tracks that delight no matter which side of the jazz / classical dichotomy you occupy.” (All About Jazz.com) Review