Bill Tamayo Keyboardist Bio

Bill Tamayo is a native and resident of San Francisco who began playing the accordion at the ageof 6 and learned various jazz standards, Italian polkas and songs from the American songbook. But his first love was soul music played on KDIA and the original KSOL, and he began playingorgan in soul bands throughout high school. But listening to Mongo Santamaria’s “Soul Bag” album and jazz organist Jimmy Smith on the radio in his early teens were key breakthroughs that helped expand his repertoire.

He played professionally with Sand, a top local cover band, at various Bay Area clubs and colleges before heading to law school and having a 42- year civil rights career. Over the last 25 years he has performed with various bands and musicians including The Coolerators (civil rights lawyers band), The Recusals (federal judges band), Sabor Caliente (Latin), GTS Band, Maximus Vibes, Mundo (Ben Luis), Enrique Ramirez (Los Peludos), Reverse DNA, and more. He uses a Viscount JDF Legend Live organ, Yamaha keyboard, Roland synthesizer and Weltmeister accordion. He currently studies piano under Kerrilyn Renshaw, a faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.