featuring Paula Byrne, vocals
& Craig Bidondo, piano
Paula Byrne's voice is like chilled champagne on a hot summer day. She moves easily between songs that are lush and beautiful to highly rhythmic, wild rides. Her sense of humor, revival of obscure songs and new twists on old standards keeps the audience engaged and enraptured.
Paula is eclectic in her choice of musicians with whom to perform, including many of Portland's best: Randy Porter, Gordon Lee, George Mitchell, Craig Bidondo, Joe Millward, Ron Steen, Dennis Caiazza, Rich Turnoy, Glenn Holstrom, Andrea Niemiec, Kevin Dietz, Christopher Woitach and Darin Clendenin, Matt Tabor, Craig Snazelle, Dave Captein, Vince Frates, Dan Gaynor, John Gilmore, Mike Horsfall, Greg Goebel, Dan Presley, Carlton Jackson, Gordon Lee, Todd Marston.
Born to a jazz drummer (father) and figure skater (mother), she has been a lover of music and movement since birth. Paula teaches dance locally and internationally, and has been a moving force in the dance scene in Portland since 1996. She is the creator of the Wild Grace™ and DanceQuest™ movement meditations, and is Founder of SomaSpace ~ Studio of Movement Arts in NE PDX.
Paula was an Oracle software developer in the corporate high-tech field for 20 years. She left that career in 2005 to devote herself full-time to her soul-work in assisting people to remember and reconnect to the body as a source of wisdom, pleasure and joy in the present moment.
Paula's YouTube Channel : YouTube
Paula's Transformational Dance Website : www.WildGrace.us
Paula's TED Talk on Everyday Dancing :
Pianist and keyboardist Craig Bidondo has been performing on the West Coast for over 20 years. Originally from Alaska, Craig studied piano and music composition in Los Angeles before moving to the Portland area in 1988, and has been playing as a solo artist and with various professional groups in the Pacific Northwest ever since. His fresh jazz sound has been influenced by his years of playing not only jazz but also classical, rock, new age, and gospel music.
Besides backing up local talents such as Tony Starlight, Ollie McClay, Johnny Martin, Heather Keizur, the Swizzle Chicks, Skip Von Kuske, Cherie Price, Malea, Sally Sieh, and the Art Abrams Swing Machine Big Band, Craig has performed as a solo artist and bandleader at restaurants, weddings, parties, art shows and corporate events throughout the West Coast. Some of the local venues that have enjoyed his music include Tony Starlight’s Supperclub and Lounge, the Persimmon Country Club, the Benson Hotel, the Jenkins Estate, the Heathman Hotel, The Caswell-Martin Gallery, The Columbia Gorge Hotel, Timberline Lodge, The Shilo Inn on Airport Way, Dy’s Broadway Diner and many other locations.
