Steve's Blog
Weekly Update on the Hottest Roots Music In Town!
Thursday April 19, 2018

Yes folks, it's another Sold Out show at The Rogue! This time with Welsh songwriter Martyn Joseph. Yay for us! Yay for him! Yay for everyone who already bought tickets! There is a very small possibility that someone may not show up, so their tickets / seats will go to the first in our Standby Line at the door. 

This show is sponsored by Dan & Ursula Bowditch. THANK YOU! Sponsorship opportunities are available for ALL or other concerts. Please email concerts@roguefolk.bc.ca for more information.

Kierah is one of Canada's most exciting and original Celtic fiddlers. She has released four award-winning CDs, and written hundreds of tunes. Martin Hayes is a big fan, and we can think of no higher praise than that! Kierah has assembled a superb backing band for this show: Adrian Dolan (The Bills) on mandolin, accordion, piano, etc.), Adam Dobres (Outlaw Social et.) on guitar, and Robin Layne (Locarno, Paperboys, Mazacote) on percussion. We hope you'll come down to hear the sound of Canadian Celtic music today - and tomorrow (OK, well, Sunday at least!) Click here for tickets.

What started out as an idea when my Mum visited Vancouver from England in 2006 - and The Hot Club Of Mars played the last time she danced in public - blossomed into April In Paris in 2007. 

We presented three nights of scintillating gypsy jazz, performed by local bands inspired by the musical legacy of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in the Parisian night clubs of the 1930s and 1940s. "Gypsy jazz," is named in their honour. They blended their own musical legacies with the new American art form of jazz, Soon their recordings brought international fame to the genre. Gypsy jazz is characterized by upbeat, high energy swing on acoustic instruments, especially guitar, violin, bass, clarinet, and accordion. Van Django, Marc Atkinson Trio, and The Hot Club Of Mars have been the core bands since that first year, and we have also presented the likes of John Jorgenson Quintet (twice), and Seattle's Pearl Django and Hot Club Sandwich, Quebec's Christine Tassan et les Imposteures (thrice) and for the past few years we have also branched out into cabaret (Moulin Rogue) with burlesque and magic. We've even presented big bands and heaps of lindy hop dancers. With French wine and sandwiches and all this fabulous music and spectacle, April In Paris now reaches its 12th edition. Can't afford a trip to Paris in the springtime? No need. Paris is alive and well and living in Kitsilano!

Van Django launch their fourth CD, Hotel Europe, available for the first time. I received 6 songs by email last night, and will play some of them on The Saturday Edge On Folk this Saturday on CiTR (see Radio Waves below). Led by the twin guitars of Budge Schachte and Finn Manniche and the soaring violin of Cam Wilson (Mad Pudding, VSO, Joe Trio) and propelled by the acoustic bass groove of Brent Gubbels, Van Django is undoubtedly one of North America's very finest gypsy jazz combos - and far and away the most adventurous, witty, and compulsive little band I've heard in yonks!


Opening for them is a new Vancouver band, The Lawless Hot Club, comprising long-time guitar buddies Michael Dunn (Hot Club Of Mars, Nyetz) and Don Ogilvie, chanteuse Eleanor Dunn, bassist Joe Bourchier, and fiddler Edgar Bridwell (ex Ray Condo band).

Don't miss the re-creation of Grappelli's masterful renditions of Mendelssohn and co, in a duet with Cam Wilson.

For tickets and information click here

Company B Jazz Band have graced the April In Paris stage for the past 5 years and has just released an EP The Bee Sides to follow their Shanghai Rendez-Vous EP (2016), and three full-length albums before that. The glorious harmonies of Juhli Conlinn, Shannon Scott & Bonnie Northgraves fly above the solid bass of Jenn Hodge, and the brilliant sax and clarinet playing of Jens Christiansen. Josh Roberts completes the band on rhythm guitar. Bonnie is also a brilliant trumpet and keyboard player. The girls make their own dresses and they have wowed audiences from China to New Orleans with their definitive vocal style that was inspired by The Boswell Sisters and later The Andrews Sisters in the 1930s and 1940s. 


Seattle's Pearl Django last played at April In Paris in 2010, their third successive appearance. Since then they have released four more CDs, including their latest, With Friends Like These (2017). Led by violinist Michael Gray, the band features two guitarists - Jim Char and Tim Lerch, accordionist David Lange, and bassist Rick Leppanen. Their instrumental arrangements are the perfect foil for Company B's beautiful harmony singing.

For tickets and more information click here

The festival concludes with two bands making their AIP debut and one returning favourite combo. Django's Jewels is a young quartet from Cumberland BC who released their debut CD - In It For The Money - last year. Our publicist, Paul Norton, heard them busking on Commercial Drive a few months ago, and was suitable impressed. They will kick off the show with a short set of Django favourites.


Marc Atkinson (The Bills' mandolinist) is one of BC's most celebrated guitarists. Making his home on Hornby Island, Marc is heavily involved in organizing the prestigious annual Hornby Festival in late July. He's not just a brilliant player, though, he's also a remarkable composer of intricate melodies and renders them with mind-blowing precision and alacrity. Backed by Joey Smith (ex Glen Miller Orchestra) on acoustic bass and Brett Martens on rhythm guitar, Marc's shows are full of soulful wonder! 


We'll finish up with another Seattle band, Ranger & The Re-Arrangers, who will be making their AIP debut. They come highly-recommended by the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival and Djangofest Northwest. Led by the fiery gypsy fiddle of Ranger Sciacca, the band also features Ranger's Dad Mike Sciacca on guitar, and bassist Mick Nicholson. What makes them unique is the presence of mandolinist Dave Stewart (who doubles on tenor guitar and 5 string electric mandolin) and percussionist Jeffrey Moose, who was born in Mexico and raised in West Africa. Jeffrey also adds vocals to the band's compelling sound. We can't wait to see them in action!

For tickets and information, click here

The City Of Vancouver has just proclaimed May 2018 as Rogue Folk Club Month. It is the second successive year we have been awarded this honour, and it commemorates our 30th birthday. We have some fabulous shows next month, with Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Singer Songwriters, and Old Time Music - and more! 


The first show (Thursday May 3rd at St. James Hall) will commence at 7:45pm when BC dobro maestro Doug Cox will be inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall Of Fame. Then he teams up with Portland guitarist and singer Mary Flower and opener Mark Stuart (Stacey Earle's partner) for a concert of Blues and much more. 


We then present four of Canada's finest Blues musicians (Samantha Martin, David Vest, Paul Pigat, Rick Fines) at the WISE Music Hall (1882 Adanac Street) on Sunday May 6th - in cooperation with the Hornby Blues Workshop. 


Nova Scotia singer Laura Smith marks the Rogue's birthday (May 10th at St. James) then Kathy Kallick brings her fine band on Sunday 13th and Tony McManus will show us just why he is widely regarded as the top Celtic guitarist on the planet (May 14th). 

Full details of our May shows are on our website www.roguefolk.com

I'll be spinning new CDs by Van Django (Hotel Europe), Danish trio Fru Skaggerak (Ankerdram), Samantha Martin (Run To Me), David Vest (self-titled), Calexico (The Thread That Keeps Us), Mali duo Djeneba et Fousco (Kayeba Khasso), Kenya's Orchestre Les Mangelepa (Last Band Standing), English duos The Rheingans Sisters and Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, Irish neo-trad band Lankum, and Vancouver's remarkable Buckman Coe will also be featured on this week's show. Plus an extended look at the music of the superb young fiddler Kierah Raymond, Yukon songwriter Kim Beggs (Songbird North at The Roundhouse April 24th), music from Steve Dawson & company's new Black Hen Roadshow (appearing at Capilano University's Blueshore Financial Stage April 25th), and a preview of April In Paris! I hope you can join me this Saturday from 8am to noon on CiTR fm 101.9 and www.citr.ca

7. Vancouver Folk Music Festival Ticket Deal For Rogues!
The 41st annual festival takes place in scenic Jericho Beach Park, July 13 - 15, 2018. Artists include Ry Cooder, Neko Case, Darlingside, Iskwe, Son de Madera, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, Three Women & The Truth, Donovan Woods, and many more to be announced soon.

• Weekend Passes for adults are currently $155, which with service charges and GST comes to a total of $170.39. Rogue Folk Club members can buy these tickets for just $154 including all taxes and service charges.
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• Weekend Passes for Seniors are currently $125, which with service charges and GST comes to a total of $138.10. Rogue Folk Club members can buy these tickets for just $125 including all taxes and service charges.

These tickets are only available until Thursday May 10th. 

 Members can purchase as many tickets as you like for your friends and family!

They can be purchased in person at any of our concerts up to and including the Laura Smith concert on May 10th, or next Tuesday's Roguelele Night, or the May 2nd Contra Dance. 

Or you can mail a cheque - payable to Rogue Folk Club - for the appropriate amount to: 
Rogue Folk Club,
#208 - 1504 Duranleau Street,
Vancouver BC
V6H 3S4 

Or you can pay in person at that address, but call 604-732-1305 first to make sure there is someone there to take your order! 

We accept cash, cheque, or Debit. No credit cards. Sorry. 

You must be a fully paid up member of the Rogue, and your membership must be valid up to - or beyond - Sunday July 15th, 2018. If you're not sure, we can look up your membership records on our database when you make your purchase. Or just add $30 for an individual membership or $50 for a family membership to your order, and we will extend your membership by 12 months from the current expiry date (or date of receipt, whichever is greater.)

We will make the tickets available for pickup at any of our concerts after May 11th, or at our office. It is up to you to arrange to collect them from us. We will not have them at the festival gate for you.

Remember, the deadline is earlier this year. Thursday May 10th.