Todd Marston, piano
Perry Thoorsell, bass
@ Double Mountain Brewery
4336 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland, Oregon USA
7:00 - 9:00 pm
No Cover
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.
As a bassist I have enjoyed playing with some of the best musicians in the world. It all started with guitar lessons for my 11th birthday and I've been hooked ever since. I studied or dabbled with piano, violin, viola, vibraphone, organ, pretty much anything I could get my hands on.
My high school (Carlmont) had a good band program and gave me experience with concerts and festivals and led to my earning the Count Basie Award in my senior year. After high school there was time at College of San Mateo with Fred Berry and Gus Gustavson, then San Francisco State University with Charles Siani. I got serious about bass and things really took off. I have worked with and learned from some tremendously talented jazz musicians like Smith Dobson, Jessica Williams, Larry Vuckovich, Eddie Henderson, Sonny Simmons, Mark Levine, Joe Henderson and Tootie Heath. I have worked with pop acts including Bobby Rydell, Dick Contino, Julius LaRosa, Rita Moreno, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Pete Barbutti, Jim Baily, Jerry Vale, Diahann Carroll and Frankie Laine.
Many ethnic and dance bands have also contributed to my formative process, each leaving an indelible mark on my musical sensibilities. Styles of music performed professionally include Greek, Persian, Israeli, Klezmer, Hungarian, Japanese, Vietnamese, be-bop, swing, avant-gard, blues, ragtime, classical, rock, soul, society, and even bluegrass. Musical Theater credits include "Stardust," "By George," "Godspell," and "Camelot."