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.
Mike Horsfall has enjoyed a successful and diverse musical career for over 35 years, serving as a performer, educator, composer, arranger, recording artist and concert soloist on both piano and vibraphone. He has performed and recorded with a large number of world class musicians, including Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Leroy Vinegar, Chuck Redd, Holly Hofman, and Rebecca Kilgore, and has worked with such notable groups as Pink Martini, the Nu Shooz Orchestra, and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. In 1989 Mike co-founded the trio Tall Jazz, which went to perform, record, and educate for over 20 years. They became the first ensemble to be voted into the Jazz Society of Oregon's Hall of Fame. Mike currently serves on the music faculty at Willamette University, Mt. Hood Community College, and Oregon Episcopal School.
