GEORGE COTSIRILOS

IN THE WEE HOURS

OA2 Records

George Cotsirilos, nylon string acoustic guitar solo/composer.

The Bay area in Northern California (San Francisco) offers a plethora of amazing jazz musicians.  Guitarist, George Cotsirilos, is one such artist.  This is an album featuring solo guitar recordings by Cotsirilos.  They are all “first takes,” no overdubs.  Five of the songs were recorded on a nylon string classical guitar built by Jose Ramirez of Madrid, Spain.  The other tunes were played on another nylon string classical guitar built by Alberto Morales of Paracho, Mexico.

Cotsirilos opens with his original composition, “A Nameless Poet.”  It’s a beautiful piece of music, featuring a complex melody and timing that challenges the listener. I was intrigued by this song and played it twice.

George Cotsirilos’s interpretation of the Duke Ellington composition, “Come Sunday” took my breath away.  Firstly, the sound and tone of nylon guitar strings creates one of my favorite musical tones.  Cotsirilos plays this jazz standard with deep emotion and spirituality.

Here is a guitarist who plays his instrument with passion and a deep, soulful connection to his instrument.  There is hardly anything more demanding than playing a solo performance.  George Cotsirilos does it with grace, technical brilliance and emotional depth. You will hear several standard recognizable jazz tunes like “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” “When Sunny Gets Blue” and “Like Someone in Love.”  You will also hear some songs perhaps not that familiar like “Gale” composed by the late Richie Beirach, a pianist, composer, educator and author who passed away Feb 26, 2026.

There is a gentle peace inside each song I hear Cotsirilos play.  For example, on “Haunted Heart” he pulls the best out of each string pulled, plucked, strummed and caressed.

In the next breath, he swings and shuffles along through Ellington’s familiar “Do Nothing Til’ You Hear from Me,” before playing another original composition he has written titled, “Providence.”

This is an album for all seasons.  It blurs the lines between European classical music and America’s only inventive classical music called jazz.  Cotsirilos expands his creativity during improvised mastery on every tune.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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