Renowned jazz musician Laila Biali’s performance includes songs by several other iconic Canadian artists.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
The first concert in an annual performing arts series features a renowned jazz musician whose performance includes songs by several other iconic Canadian artists.
Laila Biali, an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist, is known to combine traditional jazz with contemporary pop music on her albums in an effortless and complementary fashion. Biali performs at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre on Oct. 21 starting at 8 p.m.
The show is the first of eight concerts in the Kindersley & District Arts Council’s 2017-18 Stars for Saskatchewan performing arts series. Biali has toured with Grammy winning artists including Paula Cole and Suzanne Vega, and she has headlined festivals and stages at venues such as Carnegie Hall. She has also worked with Sting.
Tickets for arts council concerts are available at Lela’s Music Centre, LaBelle Boutique, Integra Tire, online at www.ticketpro.ca and at the door if the show has not sold out. Single tickets are $26 for adults and $11 for students 12 years old and under.
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The show on Saturday is the first concert of the series, so people could purchase season tickets for $168 if they plan to attend all eight shows. There is also an option for people to purchase packages for $92 to attend four of the concerts.
Jenn McLean, an arts council member and spokesperson for the series, said people could purchase season tickets and pick-four packages at ticketpro.ca, and she said the arts council is trying to encourage people to use the online option.
The arts council first offered pick-four packages in 2016 and McLean said it is a good option for people because they get to choose any four of the eight concerts. Two other concerts, the Derina Harvey Band on Nov. 25 and Jeffery Straker on April 6, are not included in the series, so separate tickets would be required.
McLean said the two additional concerts are fundraisers and proceeds will be dedicated to a new performing arts venue. The arts council is celebrating its 40th season and she said the series is improving all the time.
“Our seasons are just getting better and better,” she said, noting that the council’s members at the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) showcase in 2016 liked what they heard from Biali. “We seem to be reaching a wider demographic within the community, too.”
She said if people are thinking about getting season tickets, she would encourage them to get their tickets before the first concert. McLean said ticket prices have increased by $1 per ticket for the 2017-18 season and the money will go to NRC Management Inc., the community centre’s board. She added that she would like to thank local sponsors because the arts council would not be able to book as many artists without the support.
Biali, who is originally from North Vancouver, said she will have two other musicians, Kodi Hutchinson and Jon May, accompanying her on stage in Kindersley. The singer-songwriter said she has had great experiences performing in small communities in the past, so she looks forward to her upcoming tour in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
“I am so genuinely excited,” she said, recognizing that several of her most memorable touring experiences have come in smaller communities even though she loves performing on stage in larger urban settings.
She noted that she ended up becoming a jazz pianist more so by chance than by design and she was sort of “dragged into the genre kicking and screaming.” Biali said she was classically trained growing up and she also enjoyed other genres including hip hop, rhythm and blues, rock and pop.
Biali said she had limited exposure to jazz. The pianist was drawn to a school with a robust and nationally renowned jazz program, and a music director at the school drew her into the band program. She started out playing percussion.
An injury to her right arm affected her ability to play classical piano. The music director influenced her to start working with a jazz piano teacher, so she did. The experience opened her eyes to the world of jazz and while it was not love at first listen, the music of pianist Keith Jarrett changed her opinion of jazz and helped to shape her career.
“His music was listenable,” she said of Jarrett, whose music matched jazz with classical. “That, in a way, without me even realizing it became my goal as a jazz musician was to present jazz that would bridge the gap between jazz and other genres to make it more acceptable to audiences.”
Biali has covered songs by several popular artists such as Neil Young, and she is set to release a new album featuring original music and covers of David Bowie and Coldplay among other well known performers.
She noted that she will cover songs from The Great Canadian Songbook on her current tour, so she will play songs by artists including Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Feist, Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Cockburn, k.d. Lang, Ron Sexsmith and others.
Biali, who had performed at showcases in eastern Canada before trying it out in western Canada, said the audience at the OSAC showcase was very warm. When she hits the stage Saturday, the audience could expect to hear a blend of jazz and other genres. The artist added that she also likes to tell stories.
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© Kindersley Clarion
