HOYTUS

Hello, I am Hoytus Rolen, a composer musician, and fine artist.

From 1969 through 1974 I worked with Rick Baker and Jo Paul Brusard, the owners of Royal Ashbury Studios, and was under contract with them as a studio musician/songwriter. During that time I worked with Dee Dee Sharp, Merle Saunders, Mike Mathis, Ronnie Deck who played with Tower of Power, Donie Deck from Billey Cobham, Herbie Rich from Electric Flag, Jerome Arnold from Paul Butterfield Blues Band and others. I also worked with John Green and Julian Priester, the world famous Trombone player, together we did a radio show. After that I signed with Roger Collins' and Merl Saunders' subsidiary, Fantasy. I also arranged, performed, and sang on 45's produced by I.N.S. Records of San Francisco John Green Inc.

In 1977 I worked with William Herly's Jazz Trio. I played with Andy Nurell at Country Grounds, Gene Williams from Bop City, Mickey Heart of The Grateful Dead, as well as the bands Gypsy and Alegria, (with James Blue Wolf and Kenny Evans on their album Strike the Drum, with Roger 'Jelly Roll' Troy, from Elvan Bishop's Band, and Fawn Fastwolf who was with Big Brother and the holding company). I also worked with Maroon Society in Sonoma County while presenting material to Flora Puram and Airto Moriala on the album HUMBLE PEOPLE.

In 1986 through 1990, I resided in Kansas while caring for my parents. While in Kansas I did solos, as well as worked with Randy Newman and Randy Newman Jr of Kansas City.

I returned to Sonoma County in 1990 and worked with The N B Tween, a reggae cross-over group, until 1992. After that I put a band together called HRQ (Hoytus Rolen Quintet). Part of HRQ was Bob Gaviola, from George Santana band Malo, who was my drummer, as well as Patt Britton on bass. David Shrader on Saxaphone, Henry Hernandez on Congas, and Ned Alpert. This band was together for about three years.

After HRQ I joined a band called Ananta Sky, a world music performance band, I played Bass and Guitar. After Ananta Sky came my next band One Heart in 2005. One Heart had been through varies incarnations and is now called Cup of Sunshine. In 2010, I worked with Linda Tillery from Cultural Heritage Choir, Jullian Lodge who plays with Garry Burten, Robert Watson from James Brown, as well as various artists, on my latest album High Fly.

Currently, Hoytus and Cup of Sunshine play shows around the Bay Area. We recently opened a show with the legendary, Lester Chambers of the Chambers Brothers. To hire us for your next event,