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Tautologic - Band Member Bios

		Ethan Sellers (vocals/keyboards/guitar) hails from the Philadelphia area and is active as a composer, bandleader, music teacher, producer. In addition to Tautologic, he leads and performs with Irish/Scottish bands Character Fleadh and Logical Fleadh, bluegrass band Bourbon Aristocracy, Cajun/zydeco band Le Travaillant, and soul/funk/R&B band Chez Butter. For more details on all things Ethan, see www.ethansellers.com.
		Pat Buzby (drums) is a native of Columbus, OH. Pat graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in music. He has studied with Paul Wertico and Peter Retzlaff, has shared bills with artists including Dickey Betts, Carl Palmer and Robbie Fulks, and has played in styles ranging from jazz to Celtic to soca to classical. He is a founding member of Tautologic, a former member of alt-country band Old No. 8, and performs with several other area bands (Character Fleadh, Logical Fleadh, Le Travaillant, Radio Hour).
		Emily Albright (violin, vocals, mandolin) A native Chicagoan, Emily has parlayed the violin lessons of her youth into steady gigs with an eclectic array of Chicago acts, including Gwen Mitchell Band, Frozen Scones, Alex Hoffer, Little Johnny, Jeremy the Cowboy, Matthew Anderson, and Logical Fleadh. In addition to her musical talents, Emily's strong background in theater (including a degree from Indiana University) contributes to her engaging stage presence.
		Nathan Britsch (bass) Raised in the St. Louis area, Nathan is a graduate of the NIU School of Music, where he studied under Fareed Haque, Marlene Rosenberg, and Ron Carter. When not playing with Tautologic, Nathan also plays bass with Logical Fleadh, Character Fleadh, and the Radio Hour. Nathan's work with Ted Wulfers has included multiple TV appearances on ABC and a spot on the Johnny B Morning Show. Nathan's bass contributions to Wulfers' 2011 album Lucky No. 7 include a track with drummer Kenny Aronoff.
		Chris Greene (saxes) spent his formative years in the award-winning Evanston High School Wind and Jazz Ensembles and studied with David Baker at the Indiana University Jazz Studies program. Greene leads his own group, the Chris Greene Quartet. He has also performed or recorded with the following artists: Common, The Temptations, Ed Motta, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Sheena Easton, Andrew Bird, The J. Davis Trio, Typhanie Monique, Jesse De La Pena, Liquid Soul and The Mighty Blue Kings. He also composed the score for the Chicago Childrens’ Theatre’s production of “Bud, Not Buddy."
		Jay Montana (guitar) was born and raised just outside of Chicago. Jay picked up his father's acoustic guitar at about 9 years old and was immediately hooked, continuing his studies through high school and a music degree from DePaul University in Chicago. When not playing with Tautologic, Jay leads the original acid jazz band New Math and plays with soul-jazzers Soulio, soul bands Chez Butter and Second Hand Soul Band, and rock power trio About Nothin'.
	Other folks in orbit around planet Tautologic: Aaron Weistrop (guitar) led the jazz group Spazztet and R&B outfit Happy Butterfly Foot. Aaron also played guitar for the Ethan Sellers Band, Monorail, Ted Wulfers, Angelo, Tres Garcia, and way too many others to list here. Aaron also works as a guitar instructor. He graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory's jazz department in 1995. Some of Aaron's compositions have won him grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Jeff Yang (violin) gave his first major solo performance with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19. Jeff got his undergraduate degree at University of Washington in Music and Industrial Engineering, his Master's at Northwestern University, and his Performance Certificate at De Paul University. Yang has served as the concertmaster for the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy and the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado. He served as assistant concertmaster with the International Symphony Orchestra of Israel, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He also toured throughout Russia as principal second violin with the American-Russian Youth Orchestra including performances in the United States at Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood. Nick Photinos (cello) As the cellist of the new music ensemble eighth blackbird, Nicholas Photinos has toured internationally and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the First Prize at the Concert Artist Guild, Coleman and Fischoff Competitions. As a soloist, he has performed throughout California and the Midwest and has appeared with orchestras in California and Ohio, including the world premiere of the Cello Concerto in D Minor by Grace Vamos. He has toured with Bjvrk as part of the Icelandic String Octet and performed as a member of the Canton and Columbus Symphony Orchestras. His principal teachers include Hans Jorgen-Jensen, Lee Fiser, Andor Toth, Jr., Irene Sharp and Grace Vamos. Nicholas Photinos is a graduate of Northwestern University, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Jennifer Dolan Reddick (flute) Jennifer Reddick plays for the Rockford Symphony. She maintains a teaching studio in Wheaton and is the Professor of Flute at Olivet Nazarene University. Jennifer is an alum of Wheaton College and DePaul University. JenniferÕs playing can be heard on the Veggie Tales video. She has also appeared in recital with Metropolitan Opera stars Robin Wiper and Stephen Morsheck. Johnny Showtime (trombone) is best-known for his 8-year stint with Liquid Soul, during which the band was nominated for a Grammy and played 200 dates a year, including the Clinton inauguration, Dennis Rodman's birthday, and opened up for Sting. Johnny currently leads soul-jazz combo Soulio. Eric Koppa (sax) studied at Western Michigan University, where he learned and/or played with a who's who of jazz players, including Chris Potter and Danilio Perez. Since relocating to Chicago, Koppa has performed with the Glen Miller Orchestra, hip-hop group Treologic, and his current project, Evolution. Aron Topielski (bass) originally hailing from New York City, Aron has performed in a variety of genres. Aron received is BA and Masters at the Aaron Copland School of Music, and is now pursuing a Ph.D in music theory and teaching at the University of Chicago, and plays with his own jazz trio. Aron's personal inspiration comes from his wife, Lisa, and his sons Joshua and Andrew. Steven Hashimoto (bass) was born in Chicago 1953. Steve as played with some of the quirkiest rock and jazz bands in Chicago, including Maestro Subgum & The Whole, Al Rose & The Transcendos, The Art Thieves, Randy Herman & The Sceptre of Benevolence, Loud Thoughts, D-Section, Flippomusic GlobalJazz and T.S. Henry Webb's Obvious Necessity. He also leads the bands Mothra and Suenos Latin-Jazz (among many others), performs with Poetry Slam founder Marc Smith, and has been part of the house rhythm section at The Green Mill's After-Hours Jam Session for 13 years. Tautologic alumni Fanta Brooks (vocals) has been singing most of her life, with various choirs and groups in her native Wisconsin. Fanta is an art student at Columbia College and is somehow related to Eartha Kitt. She does body-painting, too. Kensuke Arai (cello) is from Palo Alto, California, a suburb of San Francisco. He has played in the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Univ. of Chicago Symphony, and currently resides in New York City. Suzy Brack (b. vox) has sung on stages from Florida to Siberia, performing since childhood in professional summer stock and musicals, upon relocating from her native South to Chicago. Suzy is starting up her own project, the New Jack Lords. Michael Sinclair (bass) has played with various ensembles around town and on tour, including The Chicago Metropolitian Jazz Orchestra, and the John Burnett Big Band (with the morning host of WDCB from college of DuPage). Michael also currently plays with the Lake Shore Symphony and has recently started playing in the musical "Schoolhouse Rock Live, Too" at the Theater Building on Belmont. Becky Rule (violin) is a Northwestern University alum who eats grits. She has performed with various groups in her native Tennessee and in Chicago, for such luminaries as Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist, former presidential candidate Lamar Alexander, and anyone walking through the MCA when her college band Smarmy Kitten played inside that plexiglass cube thing. Becky played with the Ethan Sellers Band until her departure for Florida with husband Alex. Jennifer Justice (viola/vocals) , formerly of Chicago and San Francisco, received her degree in viola performance from DePaul University. Justice now works as a singer and comedieene in New York City. Her web sites are at Jane4Justice.com and JJSings.com. Vincent Canter (guitar, keyboards) is originally from West Michigan, left the University of Chicago last year, and is now living, working, and playing music out in San Francisco with Jen and brother Orville. Daniel Veidlinger (bass guitar, guitar, vocals) is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is currently teaching at California State Chico. Mick Hirsch (acoustic guitar/vocals) is currently at Yale Divinity School, studying to become a minister. Henry Bigelow (violin) is somewhere out in California. If you know where he is, let us know. Kristen Davis (viola/vocals) finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago, and moved to Washington, DC. Glenn Meizlesh (guitar, mandolin) grew up and went to school in the Baltimore/Washington area and played guitar in 18Rabbit. After a Chicago stint that found him sitting in with Tautologic and various acoustic spin-offs and the Umbrella Ensemble, Glenn and his family returned to the east coast.

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