Brad Terry and Chris Neville - Two Jazz Legends

Brad Terry is a jazz legend and a Maine treasure. Brad's musical journey started more than 70 years ago when legendary band leader "King of Swing" Benny Goodman told his mother to buy Brad a clarinet. "I got three free lessons when I bought the instrument, and almost immediately, I started playing this wonderful music called jazz. Undiagnosed ADD forced me to learn everything by ear; reading music was not an option. (Later, I had three unproductive lessons with Benny )"

It was raw luck that early on Brad started playing with Steve Swallow, Sam Brown & Wayne Wright; did concerts with Chuck Wayne & Joe Puma; sat in at the Celebrity Club and played multiple gigs with Buddy Tate & Buck Clayton.

Later, Brad sat in with Eddie Thompson and Major Holly and played for years with Eddie Thompson, even recording a CD with him.

Brad won the Hennessy Cognac Jazz search in NYC with John Basile and recorded a whistling track with Roger Kellaway and Red Mitchell.

Dizzy Gillespie visited for a week, doing school programs, and invited Brad to New York to play Cuban music with him at The Village Gate.

Brad enjoyed a 25-year partnership with Joachim Mencel in Poland, including lots of concerts and school programs, and recording 3 CDs. (23 trips to Poland)

While in Poland, Brad recorded 2 CDs, 1 Gershwin and 1 Ellington, with Jarek Smietana.

Brad's album with guitar legend and Maine native Lenny Breau, “Livingroom Tapes”, received 4 stars from Leonard Feather.

For many years, Chris Neville has been touring with 'The Lion King' throughout North America. He has performed with many great jazz legends and is particularly known for his trio recordings with Benny Carter, including the Grammy-winning 'Harlem Renaissance'. Bassist James Cammack toured the world and recorded dozens of albums with the recently deceased, legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal, sharing the stage with the world's best jazz cats. Dave Bowler also performed and recorded with the Ahmad Jamal Trio for several years before moving to Germany in the late 1990s. He has since joined several local and international Jazz and Blues bands. But every summer, he returns to his home state to meet up with old and new musical friends and play a number of gigs in and around Portland.

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