February is set to be a musical month at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
Coming up on Friday, Feb. 14, local audiences can enjoy a Valentine’s Day concert by Canadian jazz singer Emilie-Claire Barlow.
The two-time Juno Award winner (and six-time nominee) has released 11 self-produced albums on her own label, Empress Music Group.
“She is known for her inspired reimaginings and affectionate treatment of both classic pop and jazz songs, delivered with a relaxed, polished demeanour, charming humour and a voice of unforgettable beauty,” says a write-up about the performances.
The following week, on Thursday, Feb. 20, local audiences will be treated to a performance by the Toronto-based Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar.
A write-up about the concert describes Martin as “an artist of extraordinary power.”
“A dynamic front woman, she possesses a stunning voice that is capable of summoning up tidal waves of spine-tingling emotion in one instance while delicately bringing out the nuances of a gut-wrenching lyric in the next,” it says.
She’s joined by Delta Sugar’s co-vocalists, Sherie Marshall and Mwansa Mwansa, in offering up the band’s gospel-tinged blues and soul music.
Rounding out a trifecta of musical events is a Saturday, Feb. 22 performance by Farofa and Caro Pierotto.
The Brazilian exports bring to local audiences the hot rhythms and sensuous melodies of their birthplace. Vocalist Pierotto fronts a band that includes Felipe Fraga on percussion, Isaias Elpes on bass, JP Mourão on Brazilian viola caipira (a Brazilian 10-stringed guitar), and Luis Mascaro on violin.
All three concerts start at 8 p.m. in the Shadbolt’s Studio Theatre, 6450 Deer Lake Ave. Tickets are $36 regular, or $15 for youth (18 and under). Note that ticket sales are currently marked as “limited” for the Emilie-Claire Barlow performance, so early purchase is advised.
Buy through tickets.shadboltcentre.com or call the box office at 604-205-3000.
