Barney Balch-Tenor, Alto and Soprano Trombone; Barney has played in many bands from Maine, Massachusetts, New York, California, and Florida. Barney began his jazz career in Boston in the mid-1970’s with clarinetist Craig Ball, guitarist Dave MacMillan and Banjoist Jimmy Mazzy in the band the "Dixie Cookbook". In 1978 he began performing with veteran stride pianist, Bob Page and the Downeast Jazz Babies (including blues guitarist, TJ Wheeler and bassist Dick Cash). In 1980 Barney moved to Southern California and studied with the Kansas City Blues Trombonist, Jimmy Cheatham (veteran of Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Thad Jones orchestras). Barney has performed with John Best (original lead trumpet with the Glenn Miller Orchestra), Al Hall (bassist with Benny Goodman, Erroll Garner), the great stride pianist, Don Ewell (member of the Jack Teagarden band), Francine Reed (of the Lyle Lovett Band) and numerous other big bands. Since returning to Maine in the mid 1990s, Barney has had the good fortune to play with some of Northern New England's "swinging-est" jazz musicians: Along with Novel Jazz, Barney performed with Dick Creeden, Muriel Havenstein, Lefty McAuslin, Henry Berry, Pete Collins, Ken Gaspar, Bill Friederich, Nat Balch (Barney's big brother), Dave Page, Jack Tukey, and traditional jazz with the Hadocol Bouncers (out of Portland, ME), to name just a few. More recently, Barney and pianist/vocalist Bess Jacques started a duo musical collaboration which they call "Bone & Ivory". Barney lives for playing jazz. The bottom line is, if it swings, he plays it! Along with performing with the Novel Jazz Septet, Barney spends his spare time studying original manuscripts from the Duke Ellington Collection at the Smithsonian and the Strayhorn Collection at the Library of Congress, both in Washington, D.C. and arranging them for the band.
Bill Manning - Drums; Bill attended Boston's Berklee College of Music on scholarship, and earned a B.A. in Music from University of Southern Maine. He is currently the Percussion Instructor and Director of the jazz ensembles in Scarborough and maintains a private teaching studio at The Drum Shop in Portland. He is a seasoned drummer and percussionist, with over 30 years experience and has a wide variety of musical experiences and genres. When not musically involved, Bill enjoys spending time with his wife Pat, dog Sasha and is an avid fisherman.
Jim Lyden- Bass; Jim is a Portland, Maine native, who began playing bass in the early seventies. He studied with both jazz and classical bassists, and gained much performing experience early-on playing gigs with Roy Frazee, Don Doane, Ralph Norris, Joe LaFlamme, and countless other wonderful local musicians. He was member of The Pinetones, Joy Spring Jazz Quintet, The Maine Bones, Portland Jazz Orchestra, Mark Kleinhaut Trio, and also played in the pit bands for many musicals at the Saco River Theatre. He also has a great love of free improvised interactions of which some memorable performances have been with Roswell Rudd, Curtis Clark, Oliver Lake, Titus Abbott, Mike Sarin, and Mary Anne Driscoll. Jim has been playing in the house band jazz jam sessions at the Press Room, Portsmouth, NH every Tuesday for over 25 years.
David Clarke- Guitar; David “Quick" Clarke began his musical quest on the ukelele at age 3. He started clarinet in the 5th grade, and got serious with the guitar at age 12. At 13 he was performing gigs, and played in the pit band for Waterville Opera House' production of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." He did a four year stint with the Air Force Band, playing in rock and jazz ensembles in Mississippi, touring the southern coast; the Philippines, touring Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Guam and Hawaii; and at Travis Air Force Base in California. He moved back to Maine in 1986, opening up David's Music, a local retail store where he taught music lessons and performed in local bands. He started a band called DC-3, which won the Belfast Bay Festival Battle of the Bands three years running. Over the next 25 years he has played with such bands as Faceplant, Tonto Lavec, The Willy Kelly Band, The Hemmens, The Bel-Isle Trio/Quintet, and The Elevator Pilots. He completed his Bachelors in Music Education from UMA and UMO in 1995.
Mickey Felder-Piano; Mick Felder can't remember when he wasn't playing the piano. Mick Felder studied classical piano in New York with Charles Ragusa, and jazz with Charlie Banacos and Scott Oakley. At age fifteen, his first professional group "The J-Five" performed jazz standards in New York's Catskill Mountains. During the late 60's he took a musical detour into folk music, playing guitar and singing in small clubs in New York. Moving to Maine in 1971, he and four other talented musicians formed the popular bluegrass band "Wild Mountain Thyme" which performed throughout the state for many years. Mick returned to jazz in the late 70's and has been performing in concerts, clubs and restaurants throughout Maine ever since.
Mike Mitchell-Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn; Mike Mitchell has been playing trumpet since his childhood days in the eastern Maine town of Calais. He studied at both the University of Maine at Augusta’s Jazz Studies program and the University of Miami’s Jazz program. He studied trumpet with Chuck Winfield (of Blood, Sweat and Tears), Don Stratton, and Bob McCoy. Although the music of Miles Davis and Chet Baker strongly influences his playing, Mike’s musical interests and experiences range broadly from traditional New Orleans to the outer limits of Ornette Coleman and Lennie Tristano. He is also an avid student of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, frequently contributing arrangements of their material for the Novel Jazz Septet. Beyond music, Mike is a behavioral healthcare administrator and clinician with a passion for family, fly fishing and good barbecue. Mike is on temporary health leave for performances with Novel for the 2026 season but is still doing arrangements for the 2026 season.
Nathaniel Johengen- Reeds; Nathaniel Johengen is a Portland-based, freelance saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. He is well-versed in all aspects of jazz performance with extensive experience in ensembles, both small and large. He has been directed and adjudicated by world-class musicians and educators, including Sean Jones, Nate Jorgensen, Ellen Rowe, and many others. Nathaniel has been playing professionally since 2020 and currently studies at the Osher School of Music at the University of Southern Maine with Dr. Christopher Oberholzter and Professor K. Barry Saunders, where he is studying for his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance with a concentration in Jazz Saxophone. Nathaniel teaches saxophone, performs public and private events and does recording sessions.
Ed Mitchell-Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Edward Mitchell is a trumpeter and performing artist who collaborates with local ensembles and touring musicians, leads his own quartet, and has hosted the long-running jazz jam session at Blue Portland Maine (BPM), and performs with groups including the Portland Jazz Orchestra. He performs regularly throughout the Seacoast area, both on stage and in theater pits with companies such as The Portland Players, Lyric Music Theater, and Biddeford City Theater, bringing versatility across jazz, classical, and contemporary styles. Ed will be filling-in on the trumpet for Michael Mitchell during Novel's 2026 season.
Photo credits: David Clarke (Jared Morneau Photography); Barney Balch and Michael Mitchell (Mason Smith photography, Cape Elizabeth, ME); Nathaniel Johengen (photographer unknown); Bill Manning (Will Wohler Photography); Mickey Felder (Brian Bechard) and Ed Mitchell (Jade Gilman ).