COUGAR defines jazz in their own terms. As individuals,
they are a modern composer (accordion)
and a soul singer (piano) who have been playing together for years in
many different genres. The repertoire of the trio includes jazz, tango, bossa nova and soul.Jil, accordion, is also a pianist and composer.
She received her B.A., with honors, in performance
and composition from Bard College where she studied with Joan Tower
and German Diez. Since moving to Chapel Hill, two years
ago, she has stylistically branched out and has performed and
recorded with many artists including Work Clothes, The Physics of
Meaning, The Archipelago Theatre Company and many more.
Mark Wells is a professional pianist and vocalist based in Chapel
Hill, NC. As a keyboard player he has backed up a wide range of
local talent including Darren Jesse (Ben Folds Five), Mac McCaughan
(Superchunk), Phonte (Little Brother), and Kaze. Mark was a founding
member of Sankofa, an influential hip-hop group that released two
albums and opened for the likes of the Roots, Outkast, and Busta
Rhymes. He has a new album coming out this spring, recorded with Tom
Schick (Ryan Adams, Yoko Ono), and Kenny Siegal in upstate New York.
