Paula Byrne Quartet plays at the Jazz Station - Eugene
The Great American Songbook ~ with a twist !
- Paula Byrne vocals
- Brandon Nelson piano
- Dave Captein bass
- Brent Follis drums
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.
Brandon Nelson began his piano studies at the age of 12 in Mount Vernon, WA. He graduated from Washington State University in 2016 with a degree in Piano Performance with a Jazz Emphasis. During his studies, Brandon studied directly from renowned musicians Brian Ward, Gerald Berthiaume, and Greg Yasinitsky. Brandon is a prizewinner in multiple competitions, including the Washington State Music Teachers Association's District One Recital (2011), Phase I Scholarship Competition (2012-2016), and The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival (2015 and 2016). In 2016, Brandon was also selected as the pianist to play at Hamp's Club. Currently a working musician, Brandon is playing with jazz and rock groups around Vancouver and Portland.
Dave Captein is an accomplished performer on both string bass and bass guitar, having worked as a professional musician for over 35 years in the Pacific Northwest. A Portland native, he studied with Alice Leyden (Portland Opera Orchestra), Herman Jobelmann (Principal, Oregon Symphony), Ring Warner, James Harnett (Principal, Seattle Symphony) and Chuck Deardorf (Seattle Jazz Bassist). A music graduate of Western Washington University and the University of Washington, where he was awarded a composition scholarship, Dave has performed in a broad range of situations, from symphonic performances to studio and club work, as well as many jazz concerts and festivals around the country and in Europe.
He has worked with many well known jazz artists. He freelances in the Portland area, and is a very active member of the music community there, frequently appearing in the city's many clubs and concert venues, as well as recording studios. He is a favorite choice for the region's many bandleaders and always in demand for his solid sound, time and feel, as well as his soloing abilities. He has played on numerous local artists' CD's, as well as nationally distributed releases by Tom Grant and Jessica Williams. He has also been a long time instructor, having taught at the University of Oregon for 10 years, he now teaches privately from his home in S.E. Portland and at Lewis and Clark College.
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.
