Brad Terry JAZZ Quartet Saturday, June 20 at 7pm 2026
Sweet melodies, fluid and flowing jazz playing off one anothers riffs, this is Brad Terry Clarinet, Peter Hermann Guitar, Tony Gaboury Guitar, and Bassist Bill Morrison musicians at their finest. Over 200 years of experience merging onstage for an evening not soon to forget. Relax with casual discussion with musicians after their open performance/ open rehearsal concept!
About: “the Guys”: Tony Gaboury, Peter Herman, & Bill Morrison.
We are not a, ”Band/Group/organization”. We get together for pretty involved musical conversations; discussing new tunes, exploring different harmonies, etc. We come up with a list of tunes we agree we all think we know.
The plan/program for this concert is to give the audience an inside look at what happens behind closed doors and an open discussion after the concert.
In the 1970s, guitarists Chuck Wayne and Joe Puma had a very successful duo; both of them brilliant, and very different styles; the way they worked together, was amazing! In 1973,sitting between those two for a few concerts was a wonderful experience for me.
53 years later Tony Gaboury & Peter Herman bring the same ‘wonderfulness’ to our conversations; another real treat for me,. Bill Morrison’s bass kind-a helps glue things together.
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 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, 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."
What to say about Tony Gaboury? One could say something like: "Amazing guitarist, Berklee professor 1995-2102. Played and recorded with George Garzone, Steve Grover, Ben Street, John Patitucci, Clark Terry, James Williams, Alan Dawson and more.
After a failed high school career Tony chose an exhilarating career playing jazz for the obvious great financial reward; seems we both did it for the money . . .
And so. We’ve enjoyed a 40+ year friend ship with lots of tunes and adventures.
Tony and I collaborated with Lee Faulkner and Steve Grover at the presentation of Steve’s' ”Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird". + many years, “Friends of Jazz” school programs.
Peter Ellis Herman performance experience includes Freelance Jazz and general business gigs throughout New England. Weddings, business functions, clubs, etc. Notable collaborators have been Chris Claxton, Taylor O’donnel, Rob Duquette, Brad Terry, Richard Nelson, Steve Grover, Rob Duquette, RJ Miller and Denny Breau, among many others. 2011-Present
Ardvark Jazz Orchestra, live performance and recording of “Impressions” at MIT in April 2013. KPAC community big band, with director Chuck Millazzo. (2017). UMA Tour Band, travelling to Middle and High School band classrooms around Maine, giving clinics and concerts. Under the direction of Steve Grover (2010-2013). Scratchdog Stringband, playing bass and touring in Oregon late 2016. Acoustic Americana, Roots, Bluegrass, Country, and Rock and Roll.
Recording Experience: Scratchdog Stringband “Scratchdog Saloon”. Recorded in Portland, OR 2016. All original compositions by Scratchdog Stringband. Freelance Session player for various student projects, demos, and recording classes. Ardvark Jazz Orchestra “Impressions” live at MIT. WR Custom Guitars demo for Bill Russo, luthier of fine handcrafted guitars located in Wilton Maine Producer and collaborator on recordings of songwriters Teddy Engs and Louis Velasco (releases pending)
“Un-diagnosed ADD (Til was 58) prevented me from achieving ‘normal' academic goals; I was labeled' “Lazy & Stupid”. I made failed attempts to learn to read music at Julliard, London Conservatory, Mozarteum (Saltzburg) and Yale Music School. Simple explanation: I play music 100% by ear; th,e way a 5 year old talks. I started learning tunes practically from birth by listening to my mother playing all the great tunes from the 20s & 30s I’m still learning that way” Brad Terry.
Next door to the Terry residence in Connecticut lived a very famous clarinetist: Benny Goodman himself. In a conversation with this neighbor, Brad’s mother told of her son’s interest in music and expressed her concern about the boy’s academic struggles, “Buy him a clarinet!” suggested Goodman. And so she did—a clarinet that came with three free lessons. With those few lessons under his belt, along with one or two from Goodman, Brad went on to develop on his own, through practice and performance. At one time, he was taken under the wing of saxophonist and Basie Band member Buddy Tate, who took his young protegé into Harlem jazz clubs and got him up on bandstands with some of the day’s greatest jazz musicians.
Brad’s playing has won him accolades from Jim Hall, Roger Kellaway, Gene Lees, Doug Ramsey, even Dizzy Gillespie. He has also developed a large fan base in Poland, which he has visited repeatedly, performing concerts and conducting workshops for budding young jazz musicians in that country and beyond. Some of today’s most in-demand European players, in fact, had their first lessons in jazz improvisation at the feet of Brad Terry. (photo credit: Troy Bennett)
