Sally Palmer and Mark Lavin formed the Palmer Lavin Duo in the summer of 2002 when they were featured on OPB’s Oregon Art Beat show. Since then they have performed regularly in Portland, the Willamette Valley, and on the Oregon Coast as a jazz duo with Sally on vocals and piano,and Mark on bass and guitar, and as a trio and quartet with Portland and Corvallis area musicians. They have particularly enjoyed the small concert and intimate club venues. They have produced a CD together called “Prelude to a Kiss”.

Sally’s lifelong musical involvement began with piano studies at an early age. At home in Corvallis, Oregon for many years she had the opportunity to sing with many fine jazz musicians from that area and from Portland, after first playing solo gigs on piano and singing at a Salem night spot. She has sung with big bands, combos, as a soloist with pianists, and in stage shows. She has recorded three albums of original music.

Mark has been a professional musician his entire adult life. He was raised in the Los Angeles area where his father Bud Lavin was one of the top pianists. He studied guitar with Tom Moellering in Santa Cruz, California, and Davis Ramey in San Francisco. Throughout his career he has played almost every style of music and he has taught guitar and bass. Now he focuses all his time on the small group jazz which has always been his first love.