50 years ago this month, drummer Dave Bowler and pianist Chris Neville met as teenagers in Portland, aspiring to careers in music. After music school they went with well-known local bands (Dave with Franklin Street Arterial, then Ben Baldwin and the Big Note; Chris with Don Doane, Brad Terry, then David Mallett) before leaving the area (New York and Boston, respectively) in order to further their careers.
By 1990, both were touring worldwide and recording with jazz legends: Dave with pianist Ahmad Jamal, and Chris with saxophonist/composer Benny Carter. In 1998 they reunited for Chris’ second trio CD, Look, Stop, and Listen. Shortly thereafter, Dave moved to Germany and Chris spent 20 years touring with Broadway mega-musicals (Fosse, Mamma Mia, Starlight Express, The Lion King) -it wasn’t until 2023 that they were able to reunite for occasional concerts. Tonight they are joined once again by veteran Maine/NH bassist Jim Lyden for what promises to be an exciting and memorable evening of music.
