Who: Karin Plato, Joani Taylor, Dee Daniels, Laura Crema, Jennifer Scott, and many more
Where: Frankie’s Jazz Club
When: March 4 & March 8 at 8:00 p.m.
How Much: $30 (all proceeds go to Atira’s Enterprising Women Making Art (EWMA) program)
For well over a decade, Atira has been celebrating International Women’s Day by organizing Strong Women, Strong Music, a concert series that focuses on…well, strong women and strong music. Vancouver-based singer Karin Plato is the artistic coordinator, and ensures that the shows are packed with amazing Canadian talent.
The shows are on March 4th and March 8th at Frankie’s Jazz Club, and all proceeds go to Atira’s Enterprising Women Making Art (EWMA) program.
Vancouver has always punched above its weight when it comes to jazz singers, and Plato (a three-time Jazz Vocalist of the Year nominee herself) has hand-picked some of the best vocalists and instrumentalists in the country to help support this cause. Both shows are basically a “who’s who” of the West Coast scene, with a nice mix of established veterans and up and coming talent. “I truly enjoy the grouping together of women musicians who vary in age and level of experience and background but who are able to come together for a concert celebrating women,” says Plato. “Every year I am surprised at the remarkable level of talent we have in our city!”
The performance on the 4th features Joani Taylor, Cecile Larochelle, Jessica Heaven, and Plato herself on vocals, in addition to Lisa Miller, Karen Graves, and Sydney Tough, who make up the band that night.
The show on the 8th features Dee Daniels, Laura Crema, Jennifer Scott, and Kria Wall on vocals, with Brenda Baird, Ingrid Stitt, and Wendy Solloway handling the instrumental side of things.
Both shows are a rare opportunity to see some of the most talented musicians in the country performing together. And your money goes to support a great cause. Says Plato: “These events allow the audience to enjoy a fabulous night of jazz women making music while they’re also being educated/reminded that there are a huge number of women (and their children) who are attempting to flee from violent situations in their lives.”
Tim Reinert is a Vancouver-based writer and broadcaster who worked in the music retail industry for over 15 years.
He is the current president of the board of directors of the Vancouver Improvised Arts Society, and has been emceeing various jazz and improvised music shows for Coastal Jazz and other organizations for 25 years. He also hosts the the weekly jazz internet show ‘The Infidels’, which can be found here every Monday afternoon.
