Category Archives: #Vancouver News

The Naturals Ride again! @ Frankies Jazz June 7! 🩴🌴🦋🦒🌈🌟

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Well helloo! Springtime friends and Naturals fans…You are warmly invited to come hear us http://www.frankiesjazz.ca in a refreshing new way! that’s right! NEW and IMPROVED! (as they say – lol) You must be curious? I know I am…freshness is exciting, so is poetry. I’m having my first poem published this fall in Persimmon, an online magazine, so happy to say, and an honor for sure. In fact, we’ll be performing the poem/lyric/song ‘Love is a Traveller’ on Saturday June the 7th, LIVE and IN PERSON. Tingle-time!

 

The Naturalz


I encourage you to beat the rush and book your reservations SOON for Saturday night June 7 at FRANKIES ~ our favourite downtown Vancouver jazz club. Here’s Bill Runge ~ one of the best saxophone players in Canada and a true legend in Vancouver. The ubiquitous Andre Lachance will be joining us on bass, Magick Kristian Alexandrov on piano, and master drummer Randall Stoll. What a bouquet of wonderment, yes? YES! superlatives fall short of the experience…

into the mystic
“Nature Sky” by Miriam Espacio/ CC0 1.0





Bill Runge, Saxophonist, Arranger, Orchestrator, man of the hour.










Andre Lachance ~ consummate bassist.





The Magick Kristian Alexandrov himself.





Randall Stoll’s Zen and the Art of Drumming.





 





“Music can be made anywhere, is invisible, and does not smell.” W.H Auden





Composing is like making love to the future. Lukas Foss – NY Post





I think the main thing a musician would like to do is give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe. John Coltrane





I’m not online,
     I’m not offline,
            I’m between the lines…





HB 🦩





Looking forward to seeing your shining faces June 7th!





“zen“/ CC0 1.0

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Celebrating Spring: A Poetry Showcase at VPL

				

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Hi Dear Readers,







Spring is sprung- da grass is riz          









          I wunda where da boidies iz? 








I’ll try to do better than that at my poetic maiden voyage April 1. Seriously though. Spring is going beserk without much coaxing from the weather at all. Yet there is…more light. Let’s move towards it! 













I’ll be reading selections from the collection I’m working towards entitled “Travelogue.” Come on by! there will be four readers. The Montalbano Room, 8th floor. 6:30-8pm. I would leuuuv to see you there!





May you have a Spring in your step, dear reader. 





The Poetess of Lost Lagoon* 





*(which is not lost – it’s right there on the map!)





(Artist: Simone Viegas, Portugal )






Click here for the full event details!






			

	
	



			
				


	

		
‘Two Eagles’ takes flight January 8 @ Frankie’s Jazz Club

				

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Yes, it’ll be the first public performance of Two Eagles ~1000 hours later…or is it ten thousand hours later…Bill has meticulously finished the band arrangement of ‘Two Eagles.’ Can’t wait to hear it played by Bill’s stellar band  The Bill Runge Quintet. Miles Black on piano, Bernie Arai on drums, André Lachance on bass and Nick Apivor on the magical vibes. It was a full circle type of experience with this tune. It began on a cold clear February day when I spied two magnificent eagles in the large evergreen just off my building. They were there for hours…just hanging out. I went to the piano and found a figure I liked, and a couple of potential places to go and Two Eagles was born (I kept running back and forth from the piano to the window to the window to see if they were still there.) Last week, Bill was completing the full band arrangement and looked out his window to see two glorious eagles soaring around his building. “We’re not changing the name!” said Bill. 





Listen to an excerpt of “Two Eagles”!





Can’t help but get a little excited about stepping out onto the new terrain of a new year. The forever hope of things being better. Things will be better, it always feels that way, even this year. So here we are sending some good vibes your way ))))) 





Your buddies, 





Holly and Bill











			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Bill Runge’s hot new Quintet steps out!

				

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I wanna tell the world how wonderful it is to have such a creative and accomplished partner! These musical flowerings are nourishing for all of us. Like my swirly leafed begonia plant…it’s been in bloom for weeks now! But plant music is tremendously quiet <PPPPP>


Bill’s new Quintet is exciting! dynamic! filled with verve! His writing is peerless and he’s chosen his musical companions well.  Come and find out tonight!


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Featuring a bucket list of favourite tunes from Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Don Grolnick plus some of Bill’s best original pieces from his recordings. Bernie Arai – drums, Nick Apivor – vibes/perc, Miles Hill – bass & Kristian Alexandrov – piano. Reservations recommended.


Aaaand at Frankie’s too this Saturday:


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Are you the type of person that scrolls all the way to the bottom? Well here’s your reward! A sneak preview of this hot new band!



			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Come to Spacious Music at the Atrium September 24!

				

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Oh yessss…if you couldn’t make it to the June 25 Concert ~ now’s your chance…incredible new music from John Korsrud, Hugh Fraser, Bill Runge and moi! It’s a free concert in a public space…fabulous musicians…super music in the great spaciousness…


 


See you there!


 


Here’s a sneak peek at my co-write with Bill Runge, “Lagoon”, which will have its second performance on September 24.



			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Tristan the Swan

				

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Tristan loved Thea, his mate of many years. Together they floated over the lagoon with royal elegance, bestowing their grace upon all who saw them…


The parks board never did provide a safe place for the swans of Lost Lagoon. Tristan got bumble foot from the concrete and gravel around the lagoon and was sent to the vet for a couple of weeks. While she was left unprotected on her nest, Thea was fatally attacked by a coyote. This should never have happened. The thing is, there was a swan love triangle between Tristan, Bijan and Marika – a swan Tristan had briefly been involved with a few years back. With Thea’s passing, Bijan corralled poor Tristan into the swampy area of the lagoon. Perhaps he was trying to prevent Tristan from reuniting with Marika.


Many thanks to Fiona and Ziggy, loyal swan-keepers of many years, who organized relocating the swans to a dream home in Langley where they have soft grass under their feet, and abundant clean lake water to enjoy.


It is my hope that the parks board will recognize the legacy and value of the Stanley Park swans and with public help, launch a campaign to make the lagoon safe for all wildlife, including the once and future swans of Lost Lagoon.


Here is an actual photo of Marika and Tristan “making hearts” – taken by Fiona:

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View the Instagram Page for the Stanley Park Swans




Visit the Swans of Stanley Park web page

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Art in the Garden, Dino DiNicolo and the Rare Gangetic Dolphin

				

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I am so fortunate to live on Stanley Park in the spring when the trees leaf they seem to rise up and surround my balcony like a canopy filled with bird song. Zephyrs of wind move through the trees and I can sometimes hear the little children at the Pooh Corner Daycare playing capriciously and singing “Jingle Bells” at the top of their lungs!


What could be more inspiring than playing with Dino DiNicolo in a beautiful garden surrounded by trees, flowers, and art? Dino and I have done this tour for years, sometimes in the rain, which has its own special atmosphere, but we expect nothing but sunny skies. The flowers are getting ready for their great performance! Art in the Garden is a tour of 16 gardens in West Vancouver and North Vancouver with a very reasonable charge of one dollar for each garden, each one unique featuring a visual artist, a musical duo, and of course the beautiful plants and flowers that have been nurtured all year.


Dino and I are scheduled to perform:


Saturday May 28th, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Garden #14: 2820 Marine Drive, West Vancouver


Sunday May 29th, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Garden #12: 5570 Woodpecker Place.


Come and smell the roses… and everything else!

AIG 16 Website Banner 1.jpg


And let’s not forget..


rare_gangetic_dolphin


The rare, and uniquely beautiful, Ganges River Dolphin. (Just look at that smile!)

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Cherry Blossom Festival

				

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Holly Burke performs at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival this week, and in April!

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It’s Cherry Blossom Time!

Hello Dear Friends, and happy Haiku to you! What is haiku? Well if you’d like to know more, you absolutely have to join internationally acclaimed dancer Yayoi Hirano and I to experience the poetry, petals, movement and music. Read on…

You’re invited to a delightfully intimate performance I am involved in. This will be the world premiere of Haiku Mime, a whimsical physical interpretation of haiku poetry submitted from around the world. Weaving text read by yours truly around the expressive movements of Yayoi Hirano, I love our spontaneous interplay as we illuminate these modern haiku poems together. Please join us and be a part of the blossoming of this novel cultural collaboration.


Performance Dates and Times:


Burrard Station Courtyard

March 24: 12:30 pm

(Free Admission)


Van Dusen Gardens

April 9: 11:00 a.m.

April 10: 3:00 p.m.

(Japan Fair Admission $8-$14)


And lastly, thanks to everyone who kindly contributed to our Indiegogo campaign, moving Holly Burke and The Naturals closer to completing our second recording. We’ll resume work on “Playground” as soon as I’m over my concussion. Thank you for all your good wishes!


Copyright © 2016 Holly Burke and The Naturals, All rights reserved.

You are one of my beloved fans!yayoi mime 2 square small


Mar'06 logo 11-18_sm
April 9-10 Sakura Festival


 


 

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
It’s Cherry Blossom Time!

				

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You’re invited to a delightful intimate performance I am involved with. This will be the world premiere of Haiku Mime, a whimsical physical interpretation of haiku poetry submitted from around the world. Weaving text read by yours truly around the expressive movements of Yayoi Hirano, I simply love the quick interplay we are able to discover as we illuminate these modern haiku poems together. Please join us and be a part of the blossoming of this novel cultural collaboration.


March 24th, 2016; 12:30pm-1:00pm at the courtyard above Burrard Skytrain Station.

The Tank shotyayoi mime 2.jpg


Mar'06 logo 11-18_sm
April 8-9 Sakura Festival

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Contacting Our Intelligent. Original. Inspired. Good Fortune.

				

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PC2015_Splash_2PACIFIC CONTACT. I step out into a world I’ve never known before…


it’s about reaching out for new terrain, it’s also about serendipity and chance. Interestingly, I found myself just standing


beside several of the people I had wanted to make contact with…lovely people!


It felt wonderful, and right, to be a part of this great festivity of Arts and Culture, everyone on their special quest, all of us


together.


Happy Questing Pacific Contact!