Category Archives: #www.hollyburke.com

The Naturals Ride again! @ Frankies Jazz June 7! πŸ©΄πŸŒ΄πŸ¦‹πŸ¦’πŸŒˆπŸŒŸ

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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!

Β 

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.





Β 





“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,
 Β Β Β Β I’m not offline,
Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β  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!






			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Reunion Concert: Experience the Naturals Live Friday January 3

				

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Hi There Wonderful People Third is a funny word now I look at it. Must be a truly ancient brit one methinks. Here I am holding the flute. amazing. next we’re in the pool. very very groovy indeed. Such great smiles! can’t wait to share the Naturals music with you again πŸ™‚ at Vancouver’s premier Jazz Club, Frankies! and warm Season’s Greetings to all πŸŽ„πŸŒŸπŸŒ²βœ¨πŸŽ„πŸŒŸ























It feels so amazing to be singing and playing again! I mean what’s ten years between friends? I hope this wee note finds you well and happy and full of mischief! We’re alive! and happy to be so. There’s going to be a great outpouring of beautiful Naturals music at our much anticipated reunion Concert Friday January 3rd 8 pm at Frankie’s Premiere Jazz Club 755 Beatty St. Please do join us for this exciting concert and groove to our greatest hits (visualize scrolling titles here with deep male voice-over- lol) thrill to “Serengeti” drift away with “River of Stars” be warmed by “Let me Stand Next to your Fire” as well as gorgeous and tuneful new material as well. Get your tickets ➑️ here ⬅️ for a passionate night of musical magic and mystery with the Naturals!























me actually singing





Bill Runge – saxophones and inspiration πŸŒŸπŸ”±πŸ’«πŸ‘‘





Randall Stoll – drums and heartbeat πŸ₯ ba-doom ba-doom





Kristian Alexandrov – piano – our magic sorcerer – ha!πŸ”₯πŸŒͺ️





Brent Gubbels – bass – holding it all down ⬇️ and πŸ†™





Nick Apivor – good vibes and percussion 





Holly Burke – voice and flute – so very delighted to participateπŸ•ŠοΈπŸͺ­










So let’s be together and wish each other a very happy New Year and beyond ))) )))) ))))) πŸŒŸπŸ£πŸŒˆπŸ•ŠοΈπŸŒ΄  hb and los naturales sending out love to all but especially you πŸ†™πŸŒ»πŸ‹  pass it along πŸ™‚ and see you there!





if desired: unsubscribe with abandon!










 











			

	
	



			
				


	

		
August is the Ripest MonthπŸ“πŸ‘πŸ‡πŸ‹πŸ‰πŸ₯­πŸ«πŸ’

				

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August is the ripest month…





when our fruit becomes heavy and round





and fully sugared ~





so full of yearning and heat and life





you don’t know what to do with it all





like the dusky hues of an August evening





my purple plum’s tangy skin hides the sweet and tawny fruit within





clinging to a stone 





and I realize





this is the pinnacle





Perseid meteor showers above 





and heat upon the land





nothing could be richer





deeper or more magnificent





than this moment in time





from amber – to umber – to ombre





August is the ripest month





HB 2024





Thanks for reading, friends. 





Let me know if you enjoyed it!





holshouse@shaw.ca






			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Come for a Flute Hang Monday afternoon…

				

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Hello Flute Fans! I’ll be playing in the Main Hall of the West Vancouver Memorial library from 2-3 pm. this Monday December 18, that is. Come and browse and flip magazine pages while I pour my heart out flute-wise…





It’s not set up for a Concert – more for a pleasant flute hang. Very casual and a bit of a scholarly vibe you know…lovely!





You’re invited! and a Merry ’tis the Season to All!






			

	
	



			
				


	

		
I just discovered the bass function on my Kozmik Keyboard 🎹 ✈️ πŸ—½

				

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Here I am playing a new tune called ‘Reunion.’ I just discovered the bass function on my Kozmik Keyboard – super fun. I may have overdone it though, ‘cos the arpeggiator broke shortly after making this little video.Β  hmm…


Please enjoy!




 


 


 


 


 

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Horns at the Atrium – July 22 – 5pm

				

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Standing in the echoing expanse that is the atrium in the heart of downtown…Β 


Β  Β  Β  notes float…


Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  quivering quavers…Β  Β  Β  Β and semi-quavers…Β  Β  Β  Β  Β and demi-semi-quavers until a trill fills the sonorous soundscape….Β  Β  Β  Β  Β and then a saxophone…


Β  Β  Β deep drone from the trombones… Ellen and Andrews’ auditory ovation to the next wash of sound to gently caress your malleus, incus and stirrup to pure ecstasy!Β 


Will you please join us tomorrow?


2-4 open rehearsal, 5-6 show

SFU Woodwards Atrium (London Drugs)


Β  Β ….here is a harmonious historical recollection of last year’s happening…




 


 


HRO-Atrium-Voices-Poster-2018-Digital

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
Costa Rica ChroniclesπŸƒπŸŒŽπŸŒπŸšΈ

				

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As I sit around here twiddling my thumbs still waiting to be over the whole concussion thing…I came across an interesting envelope in my desk. “Hols Costa Rica memories,” in my mother’s handwriting no less. Bless her dear heart! I wrote and played a lot while I was living up in that incredible location, on the Continental divide, Monteverde, C.R.


“I wasn’t sure if I should really mention anything…but a large ape has been coming to me out of the forest, almost nightly, and for some time now. What I like so much about himΒ  is not having to deal with the whole Spanish thing. What is Spanish anyway? you put an ‘ito’ or an ‘a’ or an ‘o,’ or sometimes a ‘dad’ at the end of English word, and that’s Spanish,Β  pretty much. True there are occasional surprises, like the word “banano.” But think about it, of course a banana is male. Frank and I (he’s so wonderfully direct) often enjoy a kilo or two of bananos together, all in good fun. The locals here prefer them nice and ripe and even feed bananos to their horses.


Then there’s the pig farm down in the valley.Β I had to go down there to check it out. It’s actually more like a concentration camp. Barbed wire, large grey windowless buildings, dour looking men in gumboots and the cries of the damned, that’s what. I’m so glad I stopped eating bacon. I’ll occasionally get a good whiff of pig shit up here but I still tellΒ  myself it’s paradise.”


here’s a video of a horse eating a banana


banano eating horse



			

	
	



			
				


	

		
First Snow on Cypress

				

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Ok – it’s actually the second snow…but it’s SNOW! and it’s still magical and awesome…especially through the eyes of my young Mexican neighbor across the lane who saw snow for the very first time TODAY. Β He is about four…I didn’t see him try and melt it on his tongue though…I’ll have to tell him about that one…and snow angels, snowballs, skiing and the whole glorious business.




Do you like my little tune?


Let me know!


πŸ™‚


Holly


 


 


 


 


 

			

	
	



			
				


	

		
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.