Paula Byrne Music
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Dance with Paula!
Upcoming Shows
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Saturday 12/6/25
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Paula Byrne Sings ! @ Wilf's Restaurant 600 NW 6th Avenue Portland, Oregon
featuring Paula Byrne, vocals Steve Christofferson, piano Eric Gruber, bass Jason Palmer, drums
7:00 - 9:30 pm
Steve Christofferson has been described as "one of the Northwest's most inventive pianists," (Willamette Week) with "a deft, lyrical touch and fevered imagination." (Victoria Times-Colonist) His trio is "focused, a very cohesive group capable of exploring standards and lesser-known jazz pieces with a soul and drive that hearkens all the way back to Monk, Garner and Bud Powell." (Cadence Magazine) His originals are "among the best compositions you'll hear on the local scene," (Dan DePrez) and David Frishberg says "Steve gets a great sound and plays with real authority and impeccable taste; he's one of my favorite piano players."
West coast based Eric Gruber, is a highly sought after bassist in many genres. Gruber was classically trained from a young age but later turned to the dark side of Jazz where he has flourished. With his earlier roots in Bluegrass, solid time and rhythm came easy, and have allowed many paths throughout his career. He can be seen playing with local luminaries including Darrell Grant, Devin Phillips, and the Northwest based Folk/Americana group "Skybound Blue".
Drummer Jason Palmer is a percussionist and educator who is active throughout Oregon, the United States, and internationally. His performances include appearances at St. Peter's Church and the Knitting Factory in New York, the Rochester Jazz Festival, the High Sierra Music Festival, The Sitka Jazz Festival, and Jazz Festival Calgary. Regionally, he has performed at The Waterfront Blues Festival, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, the Portland Jazz Festival, and the Oregon Festival of American Music.
Since 1995, Jason has performed and recorded with such artists as Danilo Perez, John Clayton, Ben Monder, Ron Miles, Dave Frishberg, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Zorn, Steve Wilson, Lizz Wright, Sheryl Bailey, Chuck Redd, Dick Hyman, Ken Peplowski, Randy Porter, and George Colligan. His recordings have been reviewed in Cadence, All About Jazz, and the All Music Guide.
He attended the University of Oregon, where he received both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Music. As a student, Jason had the opportunity to perform in a variety of student ensembles as well as with guest artists such as Nancy King, Bobby Shew, John Hollenbeck, and Gary Versace. His pop and rock music experience includes work with Allen Toussaint, Mason Williams, Sonny Turner of the Coasters, Ruth Brown, and Satin Love Orchestra.
Active in education, Jason is currently the Department Chair of Music, Dance, and Theater at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus in Oregon. Recently, he has also taught at Western Oregon University, Umpqua Community College, and Lane Community College.
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Saturday 12/13/25
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Paula Byrne Jazz
Private Event
7:00 pm
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Wednesday 12/17/25
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Paula Byrne Sings ! @ Wilf's Restaurant 600 NW 6th Avenue Portland, Oregon
featuring Paula Byrne, vocals Patrick Carr, piano Perry Thoorsell, bass Kurt Deutscher, drums
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Patrick studied jazz at the University of North Texas, where he taught and directed medium and large ensembles as a teaching fellow. He now lives in Portland, Oregon where he performs regularly with Ron Steen, the Rivkah Ross quartet, and many other local jazz musicians.
Performances or recordings with Smith Dobson, Jessica Williams, Larry Vuckovich, Eddie Henderson, Sonny Simmons, Mark Levine, Joe Henderson, Jamie Davis, Marvin Stamm, Kurt Elling and Tootie Heath. Live shows accompanying Bobby Rydell, Dick Contino, Julius LaRosa, Rita Moreno, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Pete Barbutti, Jim Baily, Jerry Vale, Diahann Carroll and Frankie Laine. Musical Theater credits include "Stardust," "By George," "Godspell," "In the Heights," and "Camelot." Festival performances include PDXJazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Aarhus Jazz Festival (Denmark), Stanford Jazz Festival.
Kurt Deutscher has been recording and performing music professionally for over 35+ years. Best known for his four years of service with the United States Marine Corps Band and twelve years as a founder and drummer of Tall Jazz, Kurt now records and performs with a number of Northwest artists.
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Saturday 1/17/26
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Paula Byrne Quartet
@ Christo's Lounge
featuring Brandon Nelson, piano Tim Gilson, bass Brent Follis, drums
Christo's Lounge 1108 Broadway St., NE Salem, Oregon USA
7:00 pm
Tickets $18 -- Reservations Highly Recommended
Tim Gilson has been a mainstay in the Northwest for many years. In 1985 he joined the Mel Brown Quintet with which he recorded the award winning 'Gordon Bleu' CD. During this time Tim had the opportunity to play with many nationally acclaimed artists including Mose Allison, Ritchie Cole, Bud Shank, Herb Ellis, Julian Priester, John Handy, Ernestine Anderson and many others. In 1988 Tim won 2nd place in an international bass competition in Los Angeles and shortly thereafter substituted for John Clayton with 'Slide Hampton and the New Jazz Masters' in a concert in Sacramento. He toured Japan in 1993 with the Mel Brown Quintet with special guest artist Chuck Findley on trumpet; then in 1994 he moved to Madison Wisconsin where he served as Principal Bassist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and substituted on a regular basis with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Since returning to Portland in 2002 Tim plays regularly with the Oregon Symphony backing guest artist such as Dee Daniels, Byron Stripling and Herbie Hancock. Tim has also accompanied several guest artists including Wycliff Gordon, Antonio Hart, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen and Wynton Marsalis during their tours of the Pacific Northwest.
Raised on a farm in Southern Illinois, the first thing Brent Follis can remember is picking up a pair of wooden spoons, and tapping out rhythms on some old popcorn tins. Since then, his journey has led him cross country and around the globe, performing music for thousands of people, while in search of inspiration and culture. After receiving his degree in Advertising and music performance from Southern Illinois University, he transplanted himself in the fertile soil of the Pacific Northwest. After receiving a call from a friend and musical writing partner on the East Coast, and needing to fulfill his yearning for diversity, culture, and thin crust pizza, he moved to New York City. After a decade of performing, traveling, and immersing himself deep within the trenches of NYC, he made the sojourn back to the Rose City, where he maintains a busy recording and performance schedule, and can be found backing up many talented singer-songwriters, jazz and pop artists.
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Wednesday 2/14/26
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Valentine's Day Jazz !
featuring Paula Byrne, vocals Dan Balmer, guitar
Papa Haydn - Sellwood 5829 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland, Oregon USA
7:00 - 10:00 pm
From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. His playing spans nearly one hundred CDs including twelve as a leader from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film and radio.
An in-demand educator, Dan maintains a busy schedule of private lessons, group clinics and master classes throughout the US and abroad. He adjudicates student jazz band competitions at events such as the Monterey Next Generation Festival and Reno Jazz Festival along with being a long-term teacher at the Centrum Jazz Workshop. He is the director of jazz combos at Lewis And Clark College while also on faculty at virtually every other college in the greater Portland, Oregon area.
Dan has performed or toured with Joey DeFrancesco, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Les McCann, Javon Jackson and Karrin Allyson, Benny Golson, Jeff Hamilton, Gerald Clayton, John Clayton, Terell Stafford, Ingrid Jensen, Duduka da Fonseca, Kendrick Scott, Taylor Eigsti, Buddy De Franco, Bruce Forman and countless others.
Dan’s love of guitar and making music combined with discipline, technique and restless curiosity provide an ever-deepening experience for himself and his listeners. In every performance he finds himself in the middle of the path, amidst a continuous and compelling process of discovery.
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Wednesday 3/4/26
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Paula Byrne Sings! @ Arrivederci
featuring Steve Christofferson, Piano Bill Athens, Bass Todd Strait, Drums
17023 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Milwaukie, Oregon USA
7:00 - 9:00 pm $9 cover
Steve Christofferson has been described as "one of the Northwest's most inventive pianists," (Willamette Week) with "a deft, lyrical touch and fevered imagination." (Victoria Times-Colonist) His trio is "focused, a very cohesive group capable of exploring standards and lesser-known jazz pieces with a soul and drive that hearkens all the way back to Monk, Garner and Bud Powell." (Cadence Magazine) His originals are "among the best compositions you'll hear on the local scene," (Dan DePrez) and David Frishberg says "Steve gets a great sound and plays with real authority and impeccable taste; he's one of my favorite piano players."
Bill Athens is an accomplished performer on both double bass and electric bass, having worked as a professional musician for over 15 years in the Pacific Northwest. He studied with Ken Baldwin (Oregon Symphony), Glen Moore (Oregon, The Band), and Dan Schulte (Jazz Bassist). Bill is a music graduate of Portland State University. He has performed in a diverse range of genres, from Classical and Jazz to Rock and studio recording.
Over Todd's 40 year career, he has spent 10 years in New York City playing with Marian McPartland, Tal Farlow, a brief tour with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd, followed by a relocation to Kansas City working with Interstring, PBT Trio among many others. During this time in Kansas City, Todd met Eldar, Karrin Allyson, and Kevin Mahagony leading to national and international travel with each over a 20 year period. His history and experience have brought forth over a 100 recordings as a sideman, most notably receiving two Grammy Nominations with Karrin Allyson, one with Eldar, and one with Randy Porter and Nancy King. In 2017, Todd released his debut album as a leader, "There'll Be Some Changes Made", featuring Bill Mays, Bob Bowman, and Danny Embrey. Now based in Kansas City, Todd's schedule is focused locally with occasional tours. He can be found playing nightly in the Kansas City area with multiple groups.
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Friday 3/13/26
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Paula Byrne Jazz
Private Event
6:00 pm
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Sunday 3/15/26
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Paula Byrne Quartet @ Jo Bar
featuring Clay Giberson, piano Tim Gilson, bass John Moak, horn
715 NW 23rd Avenue Portland, Oregon USA
7:00 - 10:00 pm No cover
An innovative voice in the contemporary jazz scene of the Pacific Northwest, pianist and composer Clay Giberson is part of a new generation that is redefining jazz. Emotionally compelling, the music grooves as much as it dazzles with harmony, lyricism and rhythmic intricacy. Giberson's performances convey a deep appreciation of structure and form but pay equal tribute to the pulse and sonic landscape that frame his musical ideas. Clay's musical personality owes something to his childhood spent on a farm in Woodland, Washington. His mother, a classical piano teacher, infused his early life with music and he grew up both in the fields and at the piano. He studied jazz piano at the University of Miami and later established himself in New York where he also earned a Master's degree in music technology. He has performed throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, the South Pacific, Caribbean and Japan. Clay currently resides in Portland, Oregon where he teaches, records, produces and performs.
Tim Gilson has been a mainstay in the Northwest for many years. In 1985 he joined the Mel Brown Quintet with which he recorded the award winning 'Gordon Bleu' CD. During this time Tim had the opportunity to play with many nationally acclaimed artists including Mose Allison, Ritchie Cole, Bud Shank, Herb Ellis, Julian Priester, John Handy, Ernestine Anderson and many others. In 1988 Tim won 2nd place in an international bass competition in Los Angeles and shortly thereafter substituted for John Clayton with 'Slide Hampton and the New Jazz Masters' in a concert in Sacramento. He toured Japan in 1993 with the Mel Brown Quintet with special guest artist Chuck Findley on trumpet; then in 1994 he moved to Madison Wisconsin where he served as Principal Bassist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and substituted on a regular basis with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Since returning to Portland in 2002 Tim plays regularly with the Oregon Symphony backing guest artist such as Dee Daniels, Byron Stripling and Herbie Hancock. Tim has also accompanied several guest artists including Wycliff Gordon, Antonio Hart, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen and Wynton Marsalis during their tours of the Pacific Northwest.
Since moving to Portland in 2006, trombonist, John Moak has quickly become an integral part of the Northwest music scene. John has more than three decades of professional experience performing with symphony orchestras, ballets, Broadway musicals, big bands, dixieland bands, various jazz groups and in recording studios. John has performed with such notable jazz artists as Dave Brubeck, Pete Christlieb, Nat Adderly, Randy Brecker, Diane Schuur, Branford Marsalis, Slide Hampton, Doc Severinsen, Jack Sheldon, Herbie Mann, Rosemary Clooney, James Moody and Ken Peplowski. He has performed as a member of the Louie Bellson Orchestra and Octet, the Clark Terry Quintet, and has performed with such popular acts as Aretha Franklin ,The Four Tops, The Temptations Glen Campbell and Johnny Mathis. John has over 30 years experience teaching music to all ages and levels from beginners to professionals. He has taught trombone, trumpet, jazz improvisation and jazz ensembles at the University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Christian University, Portland State University and the University of North Florida. John is a winner of the International Trombone Association's Frank Rosolino and Kai Winding Jazz Competitions, the Southern Comfort National Dixieland Championship and has performed at many festivals across the U.S. as well as the Montreaux and North Seas Jazz Festivals. Around Portland, John regularly works with Rebecca Kilgore, The Bylines, the Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra and Nextet, and several Hot Jazz and Swing groups. |
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Sunday 3/22/26
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Paula Byrne Jazz
Private Event
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Friday 3/27/26
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Paula Byrne Jazz
Private Event
7:30 pm
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Saturday 4/11/26
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Paula Byrne Quartet
@ Burlingame Space
featuring Brandon Nelson, piano Tim Gilson, bass Brent Follis, drums
Burlingame Space 8423 SW Terwilliger Blvd Salem, Oregon USA
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Tickets $25 @ Ticket Tomato
(CLICK HERE)
Tim Gilson has been a mainstay in the Northwest for many years. In 1985 he joined the Mel Brown Quintet with which he recorded the award winning 'Gordon Bleu' CD. During this time Tim had the opportunity to play with many nationally acclaimed artists including Mose Allison, Ritchie Cole, Bud Shank, Herb Ellis, Julian Priester, John Handy, Ernestine Anderson and many others. In 1988 Tim won 2nd place in an international bass competition in Los Angeles and shortly thereafter substituted for John Clayton with 'Slide Hampton and the New Jazz Masters' in a concert in Sacramento. He toured Japan in 1993 with the Mel Brown Quintet with special guest artist Chuck Findley on trumpet; then in 1994 he moved to Madison Wisconsin where he served as Principal Bassist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and substituted on a regular basis with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Since returning to Portland in 2002 Tim plays regularly with the Oregon Symphony backing guest artist such as Dee Daniels, Byron Stripling and Herbie Hancock. Tim has also accompanied several guest artists including Wycliff Gordon, Antonio Hart, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen and Wynton Marsalis during their tours of the Pacific Northwest.
Raised on a farm in Southern Illinois, the first thing Brent Follis can remember is picking up a pair of wooden spoons, and tapping out rhythms on some old popcorn tins. Since then, his journey has led him cross country and around the globe, performing music for thousands of people, while in search of inspiration and culture. After receiving his degree in Advertising and music performance from Southern Illinois University, he transplanted himself in the fertile soil of the Pacific Northwest. After receiving a call from a friend and musical writing partner on the East Coast, and needing to fulfill his yearning for diversity, culture, and thin crust pizza, he moved to New York City. After a decade of performing, traveling, and immersing himself deep within the trenches of NYC, he made the sojourn back to the Rose City, where he maintains a busy recording and performance schedule, and can be found backing up many talented singer-songwriters, jazz and pop artists.
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Friday 4/17/26
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Paula Byrne Sings ! @ Wilf's Restaurant 600 NW 6th Avenue Portland, Oregon
featuring Paula Byrne, vocals Todd Marston, piano Bill Athens, bass Jason Palmer, drums
7:00 - 9:30 pm
Todd Marston has pursued a diverse musical career ever since his days playing in both punk bands and jazz combos as a teenager. His love of music has guided him to receive a jazz piano education at Berklee College of Music, tour nationally as a sideman with singer-songwriter Sonya Kitchell and indie folk rock band The Grownup Noise, and perform extensively in Asia with the Sam Hooper Band and Mike Null's Soulcasters. However, Todd's main passion has always been composing and songwriting. In 2012, one of his original projects, Boston-based instrumental quartet Choose to Find, released their 2nd album titled Songs Without Words. This music draws on influences ranging from post rock to minimalist classical music. Todd's composition, Above Water (featured on Songs Without Words) won 5th place in the 2013 Indie International Songwriting Contest. Todd is currently pursuing a master's degree in music & wellness at Portland State University. In his studies, he has worked under the tutelage of notable pianists/educators Joanne Brackeen, Charlie Banacos, Lisa Marsh and George Colligan.
Bill Athens is an accomplished performer on both double bass and electric bass, having worked as a professional musician for over 15 years in the Pacific Northwest. He studied with Ken Baldwin (Oregon Symphony), Glen Moore (Oregon, The Band), and Dan Schulte (Jazz Bassist). Bill is a music graduate of Portland State University. He has performed in a diverse range of genres, from Classical and Jazz to Rock and studio recording.
Drummer Jason Palmer is a percussionist and educator who is active throughout Oregon, the United States, and internationally. His performances include appearances at St. Peter's Church and the Knitting Factory in New York, the Rochester Jazz Festival, the High Sierra Music Festival, The Sitka Jazz Festival, and Jazz Festival Calgary. Regionally, he has performed at The Waterfront Blues Festival, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, the Portland Jazz Festival, and the Oregon Festival of American Music.
Since 1995, Jason has performed and recorded with such artists as Danilo Perez, John Clayton, Ben Monder, Ron Miles, Dave Frishberg, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Zorn, Steve Wilson, Lizz Wright, Sheryl Bailey, Chuck Redd, Dick Hyman, Ken Peplowski, Randy Porter, and George Colligan. His recordings have been reviewed in Cadence, All About Jazz, and the All Music Guide.
He attended the University of Oregon, where he received both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Music. As a student, Jason had the opportunity to perform in a variety of student ensembles as well as with guest artists such as Nancy King, Bobby Shew, John Hollenbeck, and Gary Versace. His pop and rock music experience includes work with Allen Toussaint, Mason Williams, Sonny Turner of the Coasters, Ruth Brown, and Satin Love Orchestra.
Active in education, Jason is currently the Department Chair of Music, Dance, and Theater at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus in Oregon. Recently, he has also taught at Western Oregon University, Umpqua Community College, and Lane Community College.
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Copyright 2014. Paula Byrne Music. All rights reserved.