GARY HARRIS: Tenor & Soprano Saxophone and Flute.
MATT SCHIFF: Amplified Acoustic Guitar
GARY HARRIS and MATT SCHIFF blend many years of experience playing nearly every conceivable style of music into a polished, professional and versatile ensemble for weddings, receptions, corporate entertaining, private parties, and elegant celebrations of all kinds.
Their vast knowledge of musical styles ranges from Classical to Jazz, and the Popular Music of the 20th Century, including favorites of Bach, Handel, Hayden, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rogers & Hart, Duke Ellington, Errol Garner, the Dorsey Brothers, Glenn Miller, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel.
GARY HARRIS has performed and/or recorded with The Temptations, the Four Tops, Lou Rawls, The California Raisins,George Benson, Bobby Vinton, Harry Blackstone, Lew Tabakin, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and the late Leroy Vinnegar.
He has performed in every major city in the USA and Canada, and toured Japan with Chicago Blues legend, Little Milton. He studied at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston, and has written and recorded scores for full length films.
He plays and tours regularly with Obo Addy and Kukrudu, including their tour to Ghana, West Africa. He also appears frequently with Soul Vaccination, Thara Memory's Superband, the Carlton Jackson/Dave Mills Big Band, and as featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra.
In addition, Harris has recorded on Curtis Salgado's new CD, "Soul Activated"; recorded and featured on Gordon Lee's new big band CD, "Flying Dream"; and has appeared with Terry Robb and is on his CD, "Heart Made of Steel".
MATT SCHIFFwas born in Chicago into a musically gifted family. His versatile, straight-ahead jazz style is known for its lyrical and melodic richness, its penchant for uptempo swing numbers, and an inevitable bluesy undercurrent that harkens back to his Chicago roots. From an early age, he listened to, and played a wide variety of music ranging from classical to folk, pop, rock, blues, country, and jazz. His greatest stylistic influences include Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and McCoy Tyner. He moved to Oregon in 1977.
Since his arrival in the Northwest, he has consistently earned an enviable reputation an an in-demand soloist, ensemble leader, and side-man. Besides being a regular staple in the Portland jazz scene, he has played with the legendary Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Glen Moore, the late Leroy Vinnegar, vocalist, Nancy King, and accompanied Marlena Shaw. He continues to build his reputation as a sensitive accompanist, as a solo performer, and leader of his own trios and quartets.
He was Artist in Residence for many years at Portland's Jefferson High School, acclaimed for it's performing arts curriculum.
Matt also spend three years working and teaching in Europe, and returns regularly to tour.
His CD, "Matt Schiff & Belgrade Friends" was recorded in September of 1997 at Radio Belgrade, Yugoslavia. It was released in this country in 1998. He hopes to release a solo album in the coming year.
Matt earned a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Lewis & Clark College, and is a licensed professional counselor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Together, they have played at every jazz club, major hotel and resort in Oregon, at wineries, in all of the important, summer concert series, including several appearances at the famed Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz. They frequently appear in such diverse groups as the hot, 10 pc, Soul and Funk Band, Soul Vaccination, Portland Saxophone Quartet, the Woody Hite Big Band, and with Portland-based blues star, Curtis Salgado, Ron Steen, and with famed Soul, Blues, Gospel and Jazz pianist, Janice Scroggins. They also continue playing numerous club gigs. Gary and Matt have worked together for nearly three decades, so you can depend on them to select the perfect repertoire, insuring their performances will be beautifully and artistically integrated into the special atmosphere and setting of your event. Or, they will consult with your personally to accommodate your special requests. Either as a Duo or augmented with a rhythm section, their music is appropriate for listening AND dancing. Whether you want to enhance the memories of a romantic wedding day, entertain your most important business associates, or have a festive party for your very best friends, the music of GARY HARRIS and MATT SCHIFF is sure to please your most discriminating and fun-loving guests.
Let them help you celebrate your next special occasion very soon! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOME RAVE REVIEWS:
"I just wanted to thank you and Gary and Matt for helping us with our party this month. Everything went well, and the music was just perfect."
Michaelle Bienvenu, Waite & Associates
November 2005
"Thank you so much for the beautiful music. We were so very happy with every thing." Leonard and Carosse, Oct. 2000 wedding "We loved Gary and Matt, once again they did a great job for us. I look forward to working with them again in the future." Margaret Pettit, Stimson Lumber "Gary and Matt's performance at our wedding was wonderful. The Jazz Music played at the reception was especially outstanding and unique. Our wedding turned out perfect, and part of that was because of them." Diana Abel
"We want to let you now that we were very pleased with your musical performance at our wedding at the Portland White House B&B. Your presence there added to the special aura of the moment! We wish you continued success in all you do!" Gail and Jay Wilson"I simply wanted to thank you again for playing at my daughter's wedding reception. Your music was great. I'm also very grateful for the chance to play a few numbers with you, you adapted beautifully to my style, or lack of it, and I really enjoyed that part of the whole affair especially well. I hope to hear you again sometime." Lyman Lorenson
"Thanks, they were fantastic and everything went great. Thanks for the uplifting, mood setting event."
(At the monthly Chef's Society Dinner Meeting, hosted by Boyd's Coffee.)
Michael Hardchuck, VP Area Sales Mgr, Boyd Coffee Company, March 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Call for Song list and Demo CD. 503-774-2511
|