About the Band
Eli Orfanos
Guitar/Lead & Backing Vocals
Eli (aka: “Bongo Mike’s” older 1st cousin) is the bands lead vocalist, lead guitarist. Most of his influences are rooted in Classic rock, and the Soul music of the late 60’s, and early 70’s. His voice was formed by emulating the vocal styles of all the great Motown singers. Guitar influences include: Carlos Santana, Duane Allman, BB King, Jimmy Page, and Pete Townshend. Eli is always on the look out for a great melody, either to sing or play on his guitar.
Jill Chapman
Lead Vocals
Jill is the newest member of the group, and she brings a nice blend of lead vocals and backing harmonies to the mix of songs that we cover. Her experience in other bands throughout the Chicagoland area made the transition to The Mosquitos effortless. Jill is influenced by singers such as Fiona Apple, Joan Osbourne, and Natalie Merchant. In addition to her vocal stylings, she plays a variety of hand percussion to add to the mix of rhythm. She especially likes to play the "Goat Toe Rattle"!!!!
Glenn McHenry
Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals
Before Glenn joined the Mosquitos, the Bass position saw a mish mash of players: a little Ron, a little Eli, and a little Bob (pass the hot potato!.) When we talk about The Mosquitos after Glenn joined, we talk about how his playing has elevated the rhythm section to greater levels. Glenn brings years of expertise to the mix. His influences come from Blues Jazz, & Classic rock music. When he plays you hear Jack Bruce, John Entwhitsle, and if you listen closely he might even pull off a Jaco P. run from time to time.
Mike Orfanos
Percussion
Mike - (aka: "Bongo Mike") Plays congas, bongos, timbales, shakers, assorted drums & percussion. The band's true "rock historian" is influenced by such musical acts as Santana, Rare Earth, The Grateful Dead, and much much more. He has a love for all that old 60's and 70's rock and roll, and is constantly searching for classic tunes and forgotten nuggets for new material that the band can interpret and percussify!!!!
Terry Bernett
Sax
A seasoned veteran of the Chicago music scene, Terry has performed every genre from orchestral to jazz, blues and rock. Prior to joining the Mosquitos, Terry has performed with Chicago area powerhouse bands as Reverend T and the Soul Shakers, Funk du Jour, Hitlist Rock and Soul Review, Three Finger Pour and The Moon-Rays. In addition, Terry adds movie soundtrack recording and being a founding member of the Des Plaines Community Concert Band to his credits.
Jeff Fite
Drums
Jeff picked up his first set of sticks at a friends house when he was 7 years old. Early on, Jeff studied with Jake Jerger:, then he spent time at Berklee studying with Gary Chaffee and other faculty before returning to Chicago where he studied with Mark Walker. After receiving a percussion performance certification, Jeff played with many bands before replanting his roots around Chicago. Some of those bands include Numbers, Expose, The Rob Zetti Trio, Mosaic, Funk Revolution, Second Time Around, Last Exit South, and Vic Lombardi and the Chicago Seven. He has spent time playing a wide variety of genres including Jazz, Latin, Rock, Prog/rock and Funk. He has also spent 15 years playing and recording with the Willow Creek Community Church music ministry. Along with the Mosquitos, Jeff is currently playing with Chicago based band Whatismu, as well as Latin/ Jazz band Jazzilla. Jeff has been on staff at the Music Workshop in Mundelein since 2006 teaching drums and percussion.
Dave Stachowiak
Keyboards/Backing Vocals
Dave started playing piano at the age of 5. Once reaching high school, Dave joined a few friends and created the band Abikus. Playing many of the high school dances, the Holiday Ballroom, and even a stint at the Daley Plaza, they became a staple of the Chicago Northwest side dance scene. Loving the piano, Dave continued his education at DePaul University, majoring in Concert Piano and Performance. Dave took 20 years off playing to raise a family until he met Wendy 17 years ago. Wendy played acoustic guitar in Austin, Texas for 20+ years. Wendy brought Dave’s interest in music alive again. Dave and Wendy began playing around the Chicago area. Spending 12 years playing in church music ministries, a variety of clubs, and even events at the Palmer House in Chicago. A little over 7 years ago, they moved to Antioch and the vibrant music scene of Northern Illinois. Dave worked with a few bands in the area until settling in with Mellencougar (John Mellencamp Tribute) almost 5 years ago. At this time, he also added the accordion to his list of instruments. Continuing to tour with Mellencougar, Dave’s excited to also be part of the Mosquitos Jam Band and their variety of musical genre’s that push his keyboard skills to another level.