Bone & Ivory

Bone & Ivory is the duo of Barney Balch (trombone) and Bess Jacques (piano/vocals).  Jacques and Balch, each leaders of their own bands,  join forces in this new jazz duo collaboration.  They focus on classic jazz, including the Great American Songbook, by composers such as Cole Porter, Henry Mancini, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and many others, plus more recent popular works by the likes of Nora Jones, Tom Waits, Madeline Peyroux, James Taylor, etc.  

Barney Balch hails from Midcoast Maine and for the last 2+ decades has led the Novel Jazz Septet, a tribute band to jazz icons Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. The Novel Jazz Septet focuses on original historic manuscripts by these composers, as well as vintage recordings, which they dust off, re-arrange for seven pieces, and bring back to life in a contemporary form. 

Bess Jacques is a Maine-based pianist, singer, and songwriter, performing regularly in the greater Portland area with her band, Bess Jacques and the Strays. Their music spans jazz, singer-songwriter, and pop styles, combining vintage standards with fresh originals.  

Bone & Ivory explores the jazz and pop idioms in a fresh, new way,  with deep jazz conversations, but in a more minimalist fashion than larger bands. The combination of Jacques’ beautiful alto voice and superb piano voicings, along with the smooth, mellow sound of Balch’s trombone, makes for a unique exploration of the music that is both elegant and vibrant. With Bone & Ivory, we prove that in the jazz idiom, less can be more!  

Videos of Bone & Ivory in performance can be found here.

For more information about Bone & Ivory or for booking information,  contact Barney Balch at noveljazz@gmail.com.

Testamonials

We were fortunate to plan well in advance to have great music for our wedding weekend and Barney delivered more than we could ever have hoped for. Our guests could not stop raving about our music.

Bone & Ivory played for our Lobster Bake on Friday night.  Bess Jacques's voice transforms time and just takes you to another place. It was the perfect background music for our festivities and many were enjoying the time just listening to Barney Balch and Bess Jacques perform. It was a beautiful evening outside.  Bess's vocals make you feel like Norah Jones is in the house! Perfect weather, delightful menu, with beautiful music surrounded by family and close friends. Barney and Bess delivered music that was beyond our wildest dreams. 

A.R. and C.C.