Jazz De Novo is a collaboration of Portland-area jazz musicians committed to delivering on the legacy of over 75 years of America's classical music--jazz. Our combo includes a tasty variety of instruments that may include piano, guitar, vibraphone, electronic wind instrument, bass, drums and vocals. This format allows us to adapt and perform musical styles that range from the 1940's to contemporary jazz forms including jazzified pop tunes. Our core of musicians includes Ian McCarty-piano, Chris Scherer-guitar, Steve Agritelley-vibes/drums, Dave Hartvigsen- electronic wind instrument, Dan Gatley-bass, Steve Maliszewski-bass and Susan LeMaster-vocals. We perform in a variety of formats from duet to septet depending on venue size and preference.
We feature a very satisfying collection of young and old with a couple of young players (Ian and Jake) breaking into the Portland jazz scene after meeting at school in southern Oregon, a Portland-area veteran of the funk, pop, and jazz world (Dan), and three guys who laid down their instruments to pursue non-music careers and raise families and have returned to jazz with a everything they've got(Chris, Steve and Dave)! Susan, while raising her family and pursuing her day jobs, has been in the scene and a vocalist for a few decades appearing with many of the city's great players. Despite our wide age range, we have connected around this wonderful, complex jazz music and have melded our disparate tastes and backgrounds into something worth listening to.
