Marcus Persiani

Marcus Persiani is a pianist, composer, and arranger who became a fixture of Harlem's jazz scene, anchoring the Sugar Hill Quartet for nearly two decades through the group's residencies at St. Nick's Pub, Lenox Lounge, Minton's Playhouse, and Smoke. Originally from Chicago, he built his career in New York as an in-demand sideman and bandleader, recording as a sideman since 1991 and under his own name since 2005. His touring and performing credits span Joseph Bowie's Defunkt, Willie Colon, Jerry and Andy Gonzalez, Vanessa Rubin, and the Apollo Theater Showtime Band, and he has shared stages with figures such as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Tito Puente. His debut as a leader, Uptown Suite, gathered original compositions, and his trio album In-Motion paired him with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Emanuel Harrold. On The Proper Time he was joined by saxophonists George Coleman and Wayne Escoffery.