Colin James
Friday, September 26, 2008
7:30 PM
$45
Colin James has been a force on the Canadian music scene for 25 years and the gifted singer-songwriter and gunslinger of a guitar player continues to insert new twists and turns into his creative ventures.
Arden audiences are once again fortunate to catch six-time Juno Award-winning Colin James, with longtime musical foil and collaborator Craig Northey, in such an intimate setting.
If you’re a long-time fan of the James sound you already understand why this western Canadian artist consistently sells out the most prestigious concert halls coast-to-coast ... and if you’ve never been baptized by the spirited and often blues-basted sounds of this homegrown star, maybe it’s about time you were.
| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure  [4.9 MB] |
Season Launch
with Alex Cuba
Friday, October 3, 2008
7:30 PM
$10
As a loyal Arden patron taking advantage of the 3, 7, 12 or more show discounts you are invited to enjoy an exclusive evening that includes a preview of The Arden’s 2008-2009 Season, a performance by Alex Cuba and a post-show wine-and-cheese reception with the artists.
Fresh from accepting his second Juno Award in three years for World Music Album of the Year, Alex Cuba continues to play a major role in setting and triggering the pulse for Canada’s world music scene.
Raised in the Cuban community of Artemisa and now a resident of Smithers B.C., Alex is an artist who is definitely living the cross-cultural experience. This gifted musician has created a unique musical hybrid that explores and employs the spirit of rock as well as sweet melodies and indelible hooks associated with classic soul and pop. Look for Alex Cuba to officially launch the 2008-2009 Arden season with the kind of sizzle and style that is a trait of artists bound for stardom.
| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Dala
with Special Guest David Myles
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
A vibrant and driven young Canadian duo, Dala consistently wins over audiences in the span of a couple of songs by dispensing breathtaking vocals that are coupled with stunning arrangements.
With influences that range from The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to Tori Amos and Coldplay, the two put a beautiful spin on folk-rock driven music that appeals to listeners who range from their early twenties to those who grew up with those sixties superstars.
Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walthe deliver the kind of chemistry and sincerity that makes their live shows so memorable.
Opening the show will be David Myles, one of Nova Scotia’s notable talents. Myles combines great lyrical depth and insight with a powerful and stylish blend of jazz, blues, gospel, pop and folk influences.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Tom Wilson & Barney Bentall
with Special Guest Jon Amor
Thursday, October 23, 2008
7:30 PM
$35
Tickets go on sale August 11
Tom Wilson’s lengthy repertoire includes fronting the band Junkhouse and playing a pivotal role in Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. If a refresher course is needed prior to this concert, push the repeat button on tunes like You’re So Easy To Love, Better Off Alive and Heaven Knows Your Name to get you in the mood.
Barney Bentall’s latest recordings are countrified and folk-tinged, yet still have the same conviction and insight at their core that was key to his Legendary Hearts band. This engaging artist, who is also the ringleader of the Grand Caribou Opry, which is a B.C. take on Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, will take The Arden audience on a journey to be remembered.
Rounding out the evening is British blues upstart Jon Amor who will be bringing his adrenaline-charged brand of contemporary blues to Arden audiences for the first time.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Michael Kaeshammer
Friday, October 24, 2008
7:30 PM
$35
Tickets go on sale August 11
Without question Michael Kaeshammer is one of the most gifted and hardest working musicians touring today. This brilliant pianist’s dedication to his art in the studio and on the stage has resulted in Kaeshammer becoming a seasoned performer who is equally at home at blues and jazz festivals as he is at concert halls in North America and Europe.
Kaeshammer’s explosive command of the keyboard grabs the attention of audiences that continue to embrace his wizardry on the 88s. Nominated for a Juno Award in 2008 for his album Days Like These, expect nothing less than a mesmerizing performance when Kaeshammer makes his sixth visit to The Arden.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Gwynne Dyer
Sunday, October 26, 2008
11 AM – After Iraq
8 PM – Climate Wars
On Stage Series
Package $125
Limited seating
For an authoritative assessment of current affairs there is no better source to rely on than respected historian and print, film, and broadcast journalist Gwynne Dyer.
As the featured guest for the unveiling of The Arden’s new and exciting On Stage Series, Mr. Dyer’s vast knowledge, understanding, and focused and perceptive insights of current political and military shifts on a global scale will create an engaging forum between the journalist and his audience.
Presented in an intimate setting, and as the title suggests, on The Arden stage, this brilliant orator will peel off layers of misperceptions about hot topics in current affairs, while revealing pressing world issues with a finer focus before making time for dialogue between himself and his audience. Whether the topic is what will happen after the war in Iraq or the world food crisis due to climate change, this London-based Canadian will deliver much food for thought to his Arden audience.
Buy-and-Save discounts do not apply to the On Stage Series.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
In Good Company presents God’s Middle Name
Thursday, October 30, 2008
8 PM
$25 Adult
$18 Student/Senior
Tickets go on sale August 11
An evocative parable of crashing into the unknown and accepting the unknowable, God’s Middle Name is a compelling tale of one mother’s journey through the uncharted territory of raising an autistic child.
A stimulating and relevant work starring the playwright Jennifer Overton, this heart-wrenching story examines Overton’s relationship with her son as played by Christian Murray.
The play is an episodic journey over the course of 10 years, from confusion prior to a life-altering diagnosis, through stages of denial, anger, depression, bargaining and finally acceptance.
Along the way are flights of fancy and a great deal of humour, found both in Jennifer’s own approach to the challenge, and in her son’s perception of the world around him. This award-winning Canadian play is written with unflinching honesty and sensitivity.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Eliza Gilkyson
Friday, November 7, 2008
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
Grammy-nominated Eliza Gilkyson delivers beautifully crafted songs that have been resonating with American audiences for the better part of a decade via her earlier recordings Redemption Road and Misfits. The Austin-based songwriter’s mixture of Americana, rock, jazz and folk styles always deliver an evocative collection of songs.
Gilkyson is capable of dispensing politically charged material in an understated or simmering fashion one moment and then shifting her sights to broken hearts and shattered dreams the next. Songs from such critically acclaimed albums as Paradise Hotel and her most recent release Beautiful World are sure to highlight this much-anticipated concert.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Compadres
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
7:30 PM
$35
Tickets go on sale August 11
For the better part of a decade, audiences across our country have hoped that one day James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez would reunite in the recording studio. Last year that dream became a reality as the two award-winning artists settled back into a musical relationship where they drive one another to new heights while adding dimensions and colours to each others' original pieces.
The Compadres sound has been described as “Celtic tradition stirred up with Latin fire and spirit”, but the melting pot has a distinctly Canadian flavour that has been dubbed Celtino.
Look for these two to dip into their latest critically-acclaimed album Buddy Where You Been and trot out much-loved favourites that found their way onto discs like Keelaghan’s Road and Lopez’s Armando’s Fire.
Compadres ... together again and better than ever!
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Baka Beyond 
Friday, November 14, 2008
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
Baka Beyond consists of seven musicians from various cultures and backgrounds drawing on a kaleidoscope of sounds that create the hottest world fusion group on the touring circuit today.
A perfect reflection of the term fusion, Baka Beyond creates a seamless blend of African rhythms and Celtic melodies from the combined talents of musicians who come from Brittany, Cameroon, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Britain.
Says singer Su Hart, “Song and dance are used by the Baka Forest People for healing, for rituals, for keeping the community together and for pure fun! We try to do the same in Baka Beyond.” Accomplishing that mission long ago, Baka Beyond is guaranteed to be a galvanizing force when it takes over The Arden.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Jill Barber 
Saturday, November 15, 2008
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
Serving up a wonderfully delicious songbook, singing those songs with the utmost of conviction and a very alluring instrument is a good recipe for hitting the fast track to success.
Jill Barber has been living on that fast track for the past four years and few artists in this country have achieved the kind of recognition and acclaim this singer-songwriter has enjoyed in that kind of limited time frame.
Multiple East Coast Music Awards acknowledging her performances on stage and in the studio, Canadian Folk Award and Juno Award nominations and number one videos are all part of Ms. Barber’s impressive resume.
If you’re looking to catch a star in the making, then join Jill Barber as she makes her debut at The Arden performing songs from her Oh Heart and For All Time recordings.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Terry McDade & The McDades
Friday, December 12, 2008
7:30 PM
$30
Tickets go on sale August 11
There are certain Christmas traditions that communities call their own and in this part of the world the music of Terry McDade & The McDades ringing through the Yuletide Season is ours.
With his Celtic harp and the talents of his award-winning children Shannon, Solon and Jeremiah, the patriarch of The McDade family delivers a cross-cultural experience that is the foundation of his two acclaimed Christmas recordings, Midwinter and Noel. The McDades slide from the spirited to the sublime and back again, while tossing in wonderfully constructed solos and daring interplay.
Bringing their Christmas show to The Arden for the first time, look for Terry McDade & The McDades to offer a program that will turn up the heat on the hearth.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Les Yeux Noirs
Friday, January 16, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
Put a Yiddish lullaby next to an infectious Klezmer or Romanian dance tune and follow that with a free-wheeling take on some gypsy-jazz and you’ll be soaking up the sounds of Les Yeux Noirs.
Two violins, an accordion, percussion and guitar are feverishly stirred into a melting pot of eastern European sounds and then dispensed by an equally robust crew led by brothers Eric and Olivier Slabiak.
But it’s not just the music that means so much to the brothers and their band mates as Les Yeux Noirs are about presenting and living a vibe and code. It’s about brotherly love, fraternity and a global village where we celebrate our unique cultures and our common ground.
Les Yeux Noirs; don’t miss this European treat that is making its first appearance at The Arden.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Mighty Popo
Friday, January 30, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
A multi-dimensional artist who has been a conduit of inspiration to both audiences and his peers, Mighty Popo thrives on building cultural bridges. While the traditional music of his homeland, Rwanda, can be found at the core of his creative being, Mighty Popo takes those elements and injects his love for reggae, blues, and good old rock ‘n’ roll into songs that broaden the definition of world music.
Popo’s contributions to the African Guitar Summit brought him a Juno Award in 2005 and his talents continue to be sought out by industry giants including Bob Geldof and Daniel Lanois.
There’s a reason this treasure of the Canadian music scene was dubbed “Mighty” and a mighty fine time it will be when this bandleader plays The Arden.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Hong Xu
2006 Honens Laureate
Sunday, February 1, 2009
11 AM & 8 PM
On Stage Series
Package $125
Single tickets: $50 after
Oct 26, 2008
Limited Seating
Hosted by CBC Radio’s Katherine Duncan, the second offering in the On Stage Series will allow the audience to absorb the talents of acclaimed classical Chinese pianist and 2006 Honens Laureate Hong Xu from a perch with a bird's-eye view.
An incredibly intense artist, Xu expresses an emotional range that is “beyond his years.” The list of honours and awards bestowed on this young virtuoso continues to grow and one of his most recent honours came in 2006 when he was named Laureate of Canada’s Honens International Piano Competition. Also the winner of the coveted Mozart Prize at the 2005 Cleveland International Piano Competition, this young musician has toured Germany, performed with the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal and appeared with the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy in New York.
Be reminded why the New York Times called Xu “...a technically brilliant, insightful musician of seemingly limitless potential,” and do so in a setting where the next best seat in the house is on the piano bench.
Buy-and-Save discounts do not apply to the On Stage Series.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Colin Linden
with Whitey Johnson
Thursday, February 5, 2009
7:30 PM
$30
Tickets go on sale August 11
Colin Linden has shaped one of the most incredibly well-rounded careers in the history of Canadian roots music as a much sought-after guitarist, songwriter, and producer. This virtuoso will be serving up material from solo efforts like Easin’ Back To Tennessee, traditional blues fare and a song or two from the Blackie and the Rodeo Kings songbook.
Whitey Johnson, aka Gary Nicholson, is an iconic figure in American roots-and-blues music who has written a string of major hits for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King and Etta James. Whitey has had a staggering 450-plus songs recorded by major artists, picked up two Grammy Awards and been inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
You won’t want to miss out as Colin and Whitey are guaranteed to turn The Arden into a cookin’ backwoods juke joint.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Montreal Guitar Trio
Friday, February 6, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
Three string wizards who fuse sounds from around the globe have become one of the most sought-after musical exports in the history of the vibrant Quebec music scene. Called “the hottest guitar ensemble in Canada”, Montreal Guitar Trio drives audiences from New Zealand to Denmark to demand repeated encores while convincing critics that they have created something special and unique in the world of guitar performance.
Driven by jaw-dropping technique and virtuosity, MG3 draws on a rich tapestry of melodic and rhythmic influences and it all combines for a brilliant creative equation that translates to riveting performances.
Look for Glenn Levesque, Marc Morin and Sebastian Dufour to turn a cold prairie winter night into a musical meltdown.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Dave Gunning & Stephen Fearing
Friday, February 13, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
Two of Canada’s most prolific and masterful songwriters come together for an evening of contemporary folk music guaranteed to be as spellbinding as it is original.
With impressive wins at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards for Male Artist of the Year and Folk Recording of the Year for the album House For Sale, Dave Gunning is living up to the bold Toronto Star prediction that he is “the next big thing in the True North of Song.”
For 20 years Stephen Fearing’s deep catalogue of songs has kept him at the forefront of the roots music scene. He returns to The Arden with choice selections from Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and his 2006 solo recording Yellowjacket that was heralded as his most complete work yet.
It’s not a stretch to think that this stacked double bill could be one of the most memorable shows of the year for roots music fans.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
John Boutté
Saturday, February 14, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
New Orleans artist John Boutté, who owns one of the most soulful and alluring voices in modern day America, is at the top of his game. Dispensing his intoxicating musical remedy that combines elements of jazz, soul, blues, gospel and Creole traditions, Boutté has a history of winning awards in all kinds of categories in his hometown.
A recent winner of Best Male Vocalist at the 2007 Best of the Beat Awards, Boutté can at one moment have an audience believing he is channelling Sam Cooke and shortly thereafter have a theatre pulsating as audience members react to his grooves by dancing in the aisles.
A very special artist who has never compromised his sound, John Boutté will have you walking on air when you leave his debut Arden performance.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
John Wort Hannam
Friday, February 20, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
The trajectory of John Wort Hannam’s career continues to be pointed in the right direction as this singer-songwriter has become one of Alberta’s most notable contributions to the national and international folk and roots scenes.
That this powerful singer was named the 2007 winner of the New Folk Songwriting Competition at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas is just one more confirmation that Hannam is being properly recognized as one of the finest songwriters of his generation.
With his warm and embracing voice, humorous anecdotes between songs and down-to-earth lyrics, Hannam and his band return to The Arden to offer blue-collar music at its best.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Green Thumb Theatre presents Cranked
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
8 PM
$18 Adult
$10 Student/Senior
Tickets go on sale August 11
Using hip-hop and spoken word, Vancouver’s Green Thumb Theatre looks the epidemic of crystal meth addiction square in the eye. Cranked examines this significant subject as seen through the eyes of Stan, a rising freestyle rapper who stepped into the abyss of addiction and is now trying to recover.
Written by respected west coast playwright Michael P. Northey, this piece was specifically written for a teenage audience. Performances have resonated with young audiences across Canada and rave reviews have come from the Ottawa Citizen and Vancouver Province.
Few topics could be more relevant than this, and after winning Jessie Richardson Awards for Outstanding Original Script and Original Music Composition, few contemporary plays hit the mark with the authority and believability of Cranked.
Advisory: Strong language and mature situations
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Ailey II
Thursday, February 26, 2009
8 PM
$30 Adult
$20 Student/Senior
Tickets go on sale August 11
Synonymous with excellence in American modern dance, Ailey II continues to provide a venue for some of the best young dance talent in America. The New York Times says of the 12-member company, “Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more electric by the push of youthful ambition.”
Under the direction of Sylvia Waters, Ailey II’s distinctive repertoire has included works by dance masters Alvin Ailey, Ulysses Dove, Lar Lubovitch, Judith Jamison and such innovative choreographers as Shapiro & Smith and Kevin Wynn.
Returning to The Arden after a sold-out performance in 2007, Ailey II continues to deliver ambitious pieces and high-energy dance to audiences around the globe.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Klezmatics
Friday, February 27, 2009
7:30 PM
$35
Tickets go on sale August 11
Take old world rhythms propelled by superior multi-instrumentalists, then mix in contemporary lyrics that alternately challenge and champion political and social causes and you’re about to meet the wildly eclectic and often exuberant Klezmatics.
For over two decades this New York-based ensemble has been considered one of the frontrunners of the world music scene, putting colourful spins on eastern European and Jewish klezmer music while embracing Arab and African grooves.
Rave reviews from the Village Voice, Chicago Tribune and Montréal Gazette confirm that an evening with the Klezmatics is one that will take you on a memorable trip with a multitude of destinations you’ll not soon forget.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
LINK Dance Company
Sunday, March 29, 2009
11 AM & 8 PM
On Stage Series
Package $125
Single tickets: $50 after
Oct 26, 2008
Limited Seating
Performed by a cast of outstanding performers and fuelled by the intellectual and creative drive of choreographer Gail Lotenburg, LINK Dance Company offers an informal and informative presentation of dance that features choreographed movement alongside spontaneous compositions.
With an expansive and enlightening repertoire, LINK Dance Company encourages audiences of all ages to commit further to the creative playground that is contemporary dance by examining the creation of a dance piece and revealing what is unavoidably true — that an audience always influences the outcome of a performance event.
Ken Coulter of Oakville Arts Centre says, “When you attend a LINK Dance performance you feel as if you are part of a community who is gathering for something very special, and you are not disappointed!”
Pushing, pulling and prodding, LINK Dance company promises to put some jump in the inaugural season of The Arden's new On Stage Series.
Buy-and-Save discounts do not apply to the On Stage Series.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Matt Andersen
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
7:30 PM
$28
Tickets go on sale August 11
A human dynamo armed with a guitar and a voice that penetrates every corner of a concert hall, Matt Andersen continues to build a reputation as one of the most engaging performers in the country.
He blew out of New Brunswick like a full-force gale only a few years ago and has swept up legions of fans across the country. Opening shows for, or sitting in with, the likes of Little Feat, the late Bo Diddley and Randy Bachman sets the bar high and Andersen continues to meet the challenges at every turn.
Working from discs like his Solo At Sessions that was nominated for an East Coast Music Award and his latest release Something In Between, Andersen will take us on a journey that just might require us to install seat belts in the theatre chairs.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Lunch At Allen’s
Thursday, April 16, 2009
7:30 PM
$40
Tickets go on sale August 11
There’s nothing like four gifted friends getting together to make music for all the right reasons and when it comes to Lunch At Allen’s the dishes are garnished with humorous banter and sympathetic interplay.
Keeping audiences entranced with perfectly paced and artistically satisfying shows is why Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas are returning to The Arden for a third visit.
Hearing Jordan roll out Rhythm of My Heart which he wrote for Rod Stewart, Thomas lean into Hold On which was snapped up by Santana, McLauchlan perform his classic Child’s Song and Ms. Church slide into a Hoagy Carmichael classic would be worth the price of admission alone, but it’s a big buffet of prime selections that fill you up whenever you make time for Lunch At Allen’s.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Emilie-Claire Barlow
Thursday, April 23, 2009
7:30 PM
$30
Tickets go on sale August 11
Canadian jazz chanteuse Emilie-Claire Barlow is blessed with a strong instrument, natural charm and passion for her art that has allowed audiences from Japan to Nashville to be captivated by the unique spins she puts on pieces pulled from the Great American Songbook.
Ms. Barlow is an assured and confident artist who created the sympathetic arrangements heard on The Very Thought of You album that brought her the honour of Jazz Vocalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards and a Juno Award nomination for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.
Emilie-Claire Barlow follows in the footsteps of a number of remarkable female jazz singers who have graced The Arden stage and this show promises to keep the bar set at those same lofty heights.
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| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
Jesse Cook
Sunday, April 26, 2009
7:30 PM
$50
Tickets go on sale August 11
A bona fide Canadian superstar, Jesse Cook is living what can only be termed a storybook life. This amazing guitarist, who found himself drawn to the sounds of gypsy music in his early teens, began exploring all kinds of romantic musical traditions and expanded on that theme by traveling the globe and absorbing them first hand as a young man.
Chart-topping albums presenting a fusion of styles he dubbed ‘rumba flamenco’, headline shows at prestigious concert halls and invitations to tour with Ray Charles, Diana Krall and The Chieftains have allowed this Juno Award winner to take his uniquely identifiable sound to mass mainstream audiences around the world.
Welcome one of Canada’s finest instrumentalists, composers and performers home, before he sets sail on another voyage around the world.
| Arden Professional Series 2008/09 Season brochure [4.9 MB] |
