Hugh Fraser, Stunt Driving and the Power of Flowers

What richness flows out of Hugh Fraser! While it’s true stunt driving and split second timing were involved in picking Hugh up and actually getting to Café Ça Va, peace and majesty prevailed, once we were there.

I was thrilled to find an exquisite bouquet of flowers waiting for me, and a tender note, from Lois Keane Flowers…needless to say this inspired the music-making! Perhaps the highlight of the evening was playing Hugh’s heartbreakingly beautiful composition ‘Fairytales’.  As well, Hugh graced me with a copy of his newest Hugh Fraser Quintet release “Concerto”. Beautiful! I’ll quote Hugh from his liner notes, as he thanks his band members Ross Taggart, Campbell Ryga, Dave Robbins and Ken Lister, “I cannot say enough about the artistry, virtuosity, and personal dedication Cam, Ross, Dave and Ken bring to the Quintet.  They are all leaders, composers, performers and educators of the highest level, and have dropped everything to follow me to the most exotic and extreme opportunities I have created to share our collective joy of playing – from the first to last note of every performance, total dedication to the music and the peace and love it brings make any other challenges drop away.”

Hugh Fraser

Thanks Hugh, hugh-fraser2 Imagefor a quietly tremendous night.

TONIGHT! HB & The NATURALS LIVE @ CALABASH!

Oct23rd

Thanksgiving cosy sweaters and Ça Va Trés Bien

Seasons change brings us closer than ever

putting on socks for the first time

that cosy comfort ~ these small sleeping bags for our feet

reach for your favourite sweater,  fine old friend,

here’s my moss coloured second skin now

it begins to sink in

 

as our landscape colours flame up in glory

and the sticky sap sinks down within

We are here

somewhere in the middle

 

Dear Friends,

Michael Creber have been having so much fun at the Café Ça Va. I guess you could say that “The duo

that goes where no duo has gone before!” got a promotion.

We’ll be playing the next two Saturdays , October 18 and 25, instead of Fridays. You are so

warmly invited to join us at this softly sparkling venue, with all the earthly comforts you could possibly

want. Thank you for being you 😉 Thank you for your shining faces! Also this weekend some wonderful

news; scratch DJ, band teacher and extraordinary pianist Jason de Couto will be joining me on the

piano. You can count on an evening filled with magic, mystery, and wit. Come and see us in real life (he’s

much larger) 1860 Marine Drive, across from west van florist. 8:30 – 11pm reservations 604 – 925-

2503, or just drop by 🙂

http://www.cafecava.ca

 

Jason De Couto

Jason De Couto

logocava-500x200

 

 

 

 

 

Silent Dentistry, leaf blowers and Heironymous Bosch

Hello. I’m quite sure people in the future will look back on our 21st century urban experience and feel great compassion for us…somewhat like the way we feel about people who had to have their legs taken off without anaesthetic in WW2, for example, or god forbid, being drawn and quartered in the Middle Ages. Heironymous Bosch comes to mind.

The amount of NOISE we endure on a daily basis is frankly, inhuman. Against human.  Against humanity. Not to mention the aesthetic laws being broken and the heavy fines that should be applied to anyone caught with a leaf blower in their hands. And how do you feel about dental drills?

Anyone else out there for the invention of silent dentistry?

Heironymous

a hush of cool rivulets brings a sigh of satisfaction over the land

 

rain

 

 

Let the rain fall…

                              let it fall…

                                                   let it fall…

                             

 

                             

                           up                 

              reach

      you

as                                              and catch it in your ready hands

 

Open your mouth and taste it

clear and cool on your human tongue

dance round and round in delight like a giggling child

 

Let it rain…

                        let it fall… 

                                                 let it simply fall…

                                              

let it sink into you and disappear

bringing new life

clearing a new path

This streaming hush of cool rivulets

This sombre sweetening

That cools your fevers

and brings a sigh of satisfaction wide over the land.

 

 

H.Burke Sept.2. 2014

 

reverberations…echoes. ripples. pulses. sine waves. patterns. messages. emanations…let’s play!

9641806-close-up-of-blue-monitor-displaying-sines-curves                                                             word association…there are no rules to this game.

 

                                                                                          your turn!

 

                                                                                                 

                                                                                                😉

 

 

Holly Burke & The Naturals Proud of Pride and the Freedom to Love

…and how much the celebration of our freedom to love means, on the world stage.

St.Andrews Wesley Church and Jamie Croil of Jazz Vespers are kindly hosting us.

Where: The Wall Centre Outdoor Stage – Burrard/Nelson right across from the church.

When:  Saturday August 2nd  4 – 5 pm.

So c’mon…jump in!

😉

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Escaping High Intensity Density Tonight @ The Gumboot Cafe

Everything in the West End seems to build up to the Pride Parade happening this weekend…The Fireworks series, the many towers getting washed down, cleaned up, and drilled upon…On top of all that is the little Ziggurat project they’re working on right next to me (which sounds a lot like dental work) One way and another, I figure it’s a great time to escape the clutches of the city and lean my arm up on the juice bar at the old hippy hangout in Roberts Creek, the Gumboot Cafe. Seraphina enjoys these types of outings. We’ll be playing Wayne and Patti Miller’s original music and Patti will dance! They are born – again Hawaiians.  Summertime music will be made, and a good time will be had by all.

😉

Holly 

river of stars

I Am in Touch with You ~Thanks for Reading…from All Over The World!

I was looking at my site stats yesterday and saw that I have had visitors, from literally all over the world!! thank you!! what a tremendous feeling. When your two favourite things to do are play the flute and write poetry…you could feel that you’re, well, like, obscure. But no…I am in touch with you! So what would you like to see more of here, World? Talk to me: in your language. 🙂 Holly     Screen Shot 2014-07-24 at 10.18.25 AM

a little STAR – GAZING in the WHISTLER won’t hurt, will it?

The Hollywood Glitterati were in attendance and in abundance at our Whistler wedding gig this weekend…Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Karly Rae Jepson, Christina Perri…and more. We re-enacted the surprise moment in the wedding scene from “Love Actually”, complete with Gospel Choir ( Candus Churchill and friends, String Quartet and Horn Section (Bill Runge and friends). Justin was just, well, just so young! I studied his “this is me being tough” face and felt compassion for him. The rehearsal did not go particularly well vocally, but Justin was kind and considerate to all. He wore those hipified low slung guy harem pants that are popping onto the fashion scene. Yes as I sat beside Jack Stafford and waited for our moment to leap into action as “the flute section”, I took note of the shoes the woman in front of us was wearing.  Some fantastic art creations with cork and gold ankle straps atop skydive stilettos. My bunion hurt.