Kathy James (piano), Eric Austin (saxophone), Brad McMillan (trombone), Steve Morgan (bass), Steve Turmell (drums), Dan Murphy (vocals)
The Portland Oregon based True North Jazz Band has been a steadily active, hard-working sextet. Kathy James, Steve Morgan and Brad McMillan take pride in writing melodic, versatile, sometimes funky all-original compositions that appeal to a wide demographic of listeners. The very talented jazz vocalist Dan Murphy, sax man Eric Austin, and drummer Steve Turmell bring energy, originality, and their joy of music making to this exceptional collaboration. Originally started as the Kathy James Quintet in 2010, the band concentrated on developing Kathy’s strong, original compositions. That same year, the band obtained a monthly residency at the popular O’Connor's Vault in Multnomah Village and developed a strong fan base. Shortly thereafter they were joined by Steve Morgan on upright bass and Brad McMillan on Trombone, both jazz composers who added their musical compositions to the fray. Expanding on the true sense of creative collaboration, the band updated its branding and became True North starting in 2014. True North continues their residency at a packed O’Connor's Vault every last Thursday of the month thanks a dedicated following of fans and patrons, who consistently show enthusiastic and much appreciated support. The band has also started playing regionally at various fairs and festivals and looks forward to a successful year of gigs, new venues, writing new material and recording. truenorthjazzband.
