Jenny Conlee plays piano, accordion, organ, and other keyboards and is based in Portland, Oregon. Most recognized as a founding member of indie-rock band The Decemberists, she has a long history of playing music. After studying classical piano as a child and in college, Conlee began playing with the folk jam-band Calobo in 1991 and toured the west for 10 years. Many musical collaborations came thereafter, such as: The Caleb Klauder Band, Tekumseh Valley, Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons, Casey Neill and the Norway Rats, Ashleigh Flynn and the Riveters, The Minus 5, Little Sue Band, Black Prairie, Paper Bellows, Echo Echo Echo, and many others. Conlee also performs solo and in her own band The Jenny Conlee Quartet.
In 2015, Jenny and her husband, recording engineer Steve Drizos, composed music for a documentary called “Voyagers Without Trace” which in turn became an album of instrumental music called “French Kayaking Music”. Besides the “Voyagers..” film, Conlee has composed music for 99% Invisible podcasts, a short film, and other media projects. Jenny also stays busy as a session musician, private music instructor, and sometimes wedding officiant. 