1st Wednesdays @ Muddy Rudder
November features:
Paula Byrne, vocals
John Gilmore, piano
Dan Presley, bass
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 :
John Gilmore is a pianist and vocalist whose musical career spans 40 years. Originally from Los Angeles, he come from a musical family, his father having been a record producer and Vice President of Capitol Records and his mother, a big-band vocalist. While majoring in music at UCLA, he won First Prize in the Frank Sinatra Awards, Pop Vocal category. John worked in the Los Angeles area from 1974 through 1991 as an entertainer and band leader at such venues as The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, The Hotel Bel-Air and many others. As a solo act, he appeared at the world-renowned Jimmy's Restaurant in Beverly Hills, a six-year engagement where he performed regularly for such notable customers as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Stevie Wonder, Cher, Natalie Cole and many others. From 1991 through 1995 he starred in a television commercial for Henry Weinhard beer, playing the character “Tex Velvet.”
Dan Presley has been performing professionally since 1969 throughout the United States. He has appeared with national artists Rebecca Kilgore, Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Scott Hamilton (Concord Records), Bill Berry (Duke Ellington alumnus), Lew Tabakin, Dave McKenna, Mark Murphy and most recently, pianist George Cables (pianist for Dexter Gordon, and solo career). He studied guitar from age 7, attended University of Oregon 1969-74, and founded Willamette Valley Folk Festival (now 20+ years still active). His early career includes bluegrass/folk with Muddy Bottom Boys 1972-76, Everything's Jake (swing jazz) 1976-78, Wholly Cats (jazz/swing) 1978-86, which released two recordings and toured throughout western US & Canada. He has also performed in the Rebecca Kilgore quartet 1986-88, the Art Abrams Swing Machine Big band 1988-90, and the Ranch Dressing Western Swing Big Band. In 1989 Dan co-founded the trio Tall Jazz, which is still in demand and has six recordings to its name.
When not performing with with Tall Jazz, Dan performs with the Mazeltov klezmer group, Lilly Wilde, David Cooley, the Dennis Costi (DC big band), Larry Natwick, Ellen Vanderslice, Larry Nobori, Gordon Lee, George Mitchell, Larry Adair, the Pacific Jazz Big Band and the "Radio Revue Orchestra" led by Marv & Rindy Ross (Oregon Trail Band & Quarterflash). As an educator, Dan teaches privately, organizes bass clinics throughout the area, was jazz band instructor for Wilson High School (Portland, OR) 1995-97. He is a member of the Portland Community College Music Career Curriculum Advisory Board, and an adjunct faculty member for Marylhurst University. Currently, Dan is the special project coordinator for the M.U.S.E. band program headquartered in Portland. He also produces CD’s and demo tapes for local artists.
