Brad Terry and Friends

Brad (Clarinet) has invited three of his friends; Peter Herman (Guitar), Bill Morrison (Bass) and Sheldon Perkins (drums) to join him for a relaxed jazz session creating extraordinary music including some commentary on the process of four relative strangers (musically) getting together for the first time and making music as a quartet. While you will be blown away by the music, you may also get some answers to your question; "How do ya do that?”This will be a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon in February!!

Brad Terry is a jazz legend and 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.

Bill Morrison has been playing bass more-or-less professionally for something over half a century. Originally from Southeastern Connecticut, he has also spent time working in the Boston area, Knoxville, Tennessee, two Cumberland Counties (Maine and Tennessee), and every state in the Northeast. He's lived in South Portland since 2022. Over the years, he's worked with, among others, Harvey Diamond, Phil Grenadier, Chuck Riggs, Johnny Nicholas, Greg Piccolo, Joel Press, Count Steadwell, Jim Oblon, Donald Brown, Michael Kanan, and noted jazz educators Jerry Coker and David Baker. He has been on recordings on the Rounder, Philo, and Northeastern labels. Since moving to Maine he's played frequently at Blue, the late lamented Henry's in the Old Port, the former Urban Farm Fermentory, the recently closed Side By Each Brewing Company (do I see a pattern emerging here?), and a number of other places which, fortunately, are still open. He's in demand as house bass player for jam sessions, as long as, in his words, "they don't call any tunes written after I was born."

Sheldon Perkins is a multi-genre drummer who has been active in the Maine music scene for more than 20 years. He played on Boston jazz guitarist Bob Johnson’s 1995 album Musings. He has played at Cadenza with the Phill Argyris Quartet and Bess Jacques and the Strays. He’s been a member of the Bess Jacques Trio since 2021.

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