Steve's Blog
Q & A
Friday April 29, 2011

Question 1:
Where can you see two or three (or even more) of the world's most brilliant, innovative, exciting and acclaimed guitar players on the planet?

Answer:
John Jorgenson (Hellecasters, Desert Rose band, Elton John's lead guitarist for 6 years) - see article in this week's Straight. Page 53.
Marc Atkinson
Budge Schachte
Michael Dunn
Christine Tassan

They are all performing this weekend at April In Paris, our 5th annual celebration of the gypsy jazz music invented and popularized by Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli in Paris in the 1930s

Question 2:
Where can you find four sexy young French women harmonizing, improvising, and blowing your mind with their string-picking prowess?

Answer: Christine Tassan et les Imposteures make their BC debut at April In Paris at St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue) on Saturday April 30th and Sunday May 1st.

Question 3:
Where can you hear at least three of the world's finest violinists? Classically-trained, versatile, imaginative, daring and stunningly creative, getting down-and-dirty in Gypsy Jazz Mode?

Answer:
Lache Cercel (Romanian-born, celebrated in his homeland, and now living right here in Vancouver)
Cam Wilson (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Joe Trio, Mad Pudding, Pastiche, and Van Django)
Jason Anick (John Jorgenson's mercurial violinist)
Tom Neville (Hot Club of Mars)
Adrian Dolan (Marc Atkinson Quartet)
Martine Gaumond (les Imposteures)

You guessed it; they are all playing at April In Paris this weekend, too!

Forget about the Royal Wedding. It's history now!

Forget about the Election - until Monday.

Hockey play-offs? They'll be on for another 6 or 7 weeks. So you miss a game or two, big deal!

It's finally Spring - almost! There's fresh snow on the mountains, blossoms on the trees, daffodils and tulips are in bloom, and the delicious sounds, sights and tastes of France are coming to Kitsilano for a whole weekend in the sun. Have a weekend in Paris without the hassle, discomfort and expense of a transatlantic flight!

Don't miss out.

Tickets still available at the door for all shows.

Full details on our Concert Calendar

See you there!

P.S. I'm on CBC North By Northwest tomorrow (Saturday) morning some time between 6:30am and 8am on 88.1fm and 690am with host Sheryl McKay. (Poor Sheryl, she'd booked way too many people for the show and was busy shoe-horning everyone into her 3 hour program when I left CBC yesterday afternoon!)

Then I'll be hosting The Edge On Folk on CiTR 101.9 and www.citr.ca from 8am to noon on Saturday. It's a great life, if you don't weaken ...