Paula Byrne Quartet

Paula Byrne brings in her fantastic quartet featuring Todd Marston on keys, Tim Gilson on bass and Brent Follis on drums. 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.

Todd Marston has pursued a diverse musical career ever since his days playing in both punk bands and jazz combos as a teenager. His love of music has guided him to receive a jazz piano education at Berklee College of Music, tour nationally as a sideman with singer-songwriter Sonya Kitchell and indie folk rock band The Grownup Noise, and perform extensively in Asia with the Sam Hooper Band and Mike Null's Soulcasters. However, Todd's main passion has always been composing and songwriting. In 2012, one of his original projects, Boston-based instrumental quartet Choose to Find, released their 2nd album titled Songs Without Words. This music draws on influences ranging from post rock to minimalist classical music. Todd's composition, Above Water (featured on Songs Without Words) won 5th place in the 2013 Indie International Songwriting Contest. Todd is currently pursuing a master's degree in music & wellness at Portland State University. In his studies, he has worked under the tutelage of notable pianists/educators Joanne Brackeen, Charlie Banacos, Lisa Marsh and George Colligan.

Tim Gilson has been a mainstay in the Northwest for many years. In 1985 he joined the Mel Brown Quintet with which he recorded the award winning 'Gordon Bleu' CD. During this time Tim had the opportunity to play with many nationally acclaimed artists including Mose Allison, Ritchie Cole, Bud Shank, Herb Ellis, Julian Priester, John Handy, Ernestine Anderson and many others. In 1988 Tim won 2nd place in an international bass competition in Los Angeles and shortly thereafter substituted for John Clayton with 'Slide Hampton and the New Jazz Masters' in a concert in Sacramento. He toured Japan in 1993 with the Mel Brown Quintet with special guest artist Chuck Findley on trumpet; then in 1994 he moved to Madison Wisconsin where he served as Principal Bassist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and substituted on a regular basis with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Since returning to Portland in 2002 Tim plays regularly with the Oregon Symphony backing guest artist such as Dee Daniels, Byron Stripling and Herbie Hancock. Tim has also accompanied several guest artists including Wycliff Gordon, Antonio Hart, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen and Wynton Marsalis during their tours of the Pacific Northwest.

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. After receiving his degree in Advertising and music performance from Southern Illinois University, he transplanted himself in the fertile soil of the Pacific Northwest. After receiving a call from a friend and musical writing partner on the East Coast, and needing to fulfill his yearning for diversity, culture, and thin crust pizza, he moved to New York City. After a decade of performing, traveling, and immersing himself deep within the trenches of NYC, he made the sojourn back to the Rose City, where he maintains a busy recording and performance schedule, and can be found backing up many talented singer-songwriters, jazz and pop artists.