Efacho's Biography

pron. Ee-fa-cho O-kay-kay)
Pianist/ keyboardist

"She is certainly one of our up and coming stars"
      Randy Weston


Efacho came into the world of jazz by happenstance. Slated to enroll in dance classes at a local community center, these classes were full, so she opted to study piano with Sonelius Smith at the New Muse Cultural
Center in Brooklyn.

Later while earning a B.S. in Biology at Stanford University, she immersed herself in jazz by listening to Red Garland, Phineas Newborn, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner. Deferring her place at Cornell Medical School, she entered the New School for Social Research Jazz Program. There she received further training and guidance from famed trumpeter Donald Byrd and pianist Jaki Byard.

Her credits include leading the all-female sextet "Jazz Essence" which received rave reviews when they opened for Etta Jones and Houston Person at the Schomburg Center. She has performed throughout New York and has played with tumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, Charli Persip's Big Band,  tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, and alto saxophonist/ flautist James Spaulding.