@ Carlton Cellars
featuring Paula Byrne, vocals
Craig Bidondo, keyboard
Bill Athens, bass
130 West Monroe Street
Carlton, Oregon USA
Noon - 3:00 pm
No cover
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.
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.
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 ofÊPortland State University. He has performed in a diverse range of genres, from Classical and Jazz to Rock and studio recording.
Bill has performed Internationally with Blues legend Earl Thomas and with Jazz power trio Trio Subtonic. He has performed with the Rose City Chamber Orchestra, the Tacoma Symphony, Bel Canto Northwest, and as a soloist with The Oregon Sinfonietta debuting a new work by local composer Don Appert. He performed with local Jazz luminaries such as: Mel Brown, Nancy King, Shirley Nanette, and Dan Balmer. as well international Jazz artists: Ben Wendell, Seamus Blake, Byron Stripling, Dominique Eade, and Dave Pietro. He has been a long time music instructor, teaching at Clark Community College, George Fox University, and The Great Basin Jazz Camp.
