I called it: Frankie’s this weekend full

First, shout-out to three creatives: Arkin Pal, Luke Beach Bown, and my friend Raunie Mae, who put together a stapled live photography booklet called Vancouver Music 2023, a charming document of the DIY rock/pop scene. You can pick up a copy at Neptoon Records. Can we do something like it in our scene this year? We‘re blessed with great photographers…

It's Friday, last night at Frankie's was full of reservations, and both tonight and tomorrow night are as well. This is what was on my mind in the annual letter last month, and it’s here to stay.

6 Happenings

1)

It's always a good month when Oliver Gannon's name shows up four times on the gig list. That includes the aforementioned sold-out Frankie's two-nighter this weekend. Your two other chances to hear him are this coming Wednesday, Jan. 10 @ 6pm in the Shiggy Bossa Nova trio at La Fabrique St-George; and back there again on Jan. 27 @ 2pm with his quartet. The quartet has Sharon Minemoto, Conrad Good, and Dave Robbins.

2)

An amusing do-si-do of two theatre concerts: Tom Keenlyside leads a band at Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper's Inlet Theatre music series in Port Moody on Jan. 27, and Bill and Darlene play Tom's Anvil Theatre series in New Westminster on Jan. 30 (see the next section about that).

3)

2nd Floor Gastown have yet to publish most of their jazz-curated lineup (brunches, Sunday nights, and Tuesday nights) yet for January. I've got a smattering of their things on the gig list so far.

4)

Tyrant Studios provided me with their January lineup, but they haven't published it on their own website yet, so what's on the gig list currently is all we have so far. Looks like they're not coming back with jazz until Saturday, Jan. 19.

5)

For the second straight year, Chris Fraser closed out Rhythm Changes' December with one of his epic pieces, this time about Kevin Romain's Salience Network. Missed Kevin's album release show like I did? The drummer is playing with the same sax-bass-drums trio from the record at La Fabrique St-George on Jan. 17 @ 6pm.

6)

My early preview of Jazz at the Bolt (Feb. 17-18) is no longer way too early. Check that out!

Ticket alerts

Sat, Jan. 13 @ 8pm: The History of Gunpowder and Balkan Shmalkan, two of the freakiest and most exuberant medium-large ensembles in town, share a bill at the Wise Hall with only a few tickets left. The promised entertainment includes circus, costumes, comedy, and more.

Fri, Jan. 19 @ 7:30pm: Tony and Pete Levin join Joe and Pat LaBarbera in a legendary Band of Brothers at the BlueShore. Tickets left are 'limited'.

Sun, Jan. 28 @ 1pm: Sarah Hanahan, the young American alto saxophone star, is coming to town, and I'm writing a feature for you about it. Want to go hear her but haven't made plans yet? You have one option remaining: Hero's Welcome. The Frankie's two-nighter on the 26th and 27th is all booked.

Tue, Jan. 30 @ 7pm: Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper's Wild Blue Herons R&B-jazz project - with core members Miles Foxx Hill and Randall Stoll, plus the horns of Tom Keenlyside and Jim Hopson - plays the Anvil Theatre in New Westminster. There are two $24 balcony tickets left: the other remaining tickets are at least $41.

Feb. 23-25 @ 8pm: Peter Bernstein reunites with Jodi Proznick, Tilden Webb, and Jesse Cahill a decade after recording Live at Cory Weeds' Cellar Jazz Club in 2013 . I can't find the album on Cellar's Bandcamp right now, but it's on streaming, and it will surely be for sale on all three nights.

I have a scoop about the Saturday, Feb. 24. Chris Fraser, who studied with Bernstein on a grant, told me that he'll lead the After Dark show that night and will invite Bernstein to join his trio for a tune. Get your Saturday reservation to make a night out of that, or get the Friday or Sunday before they're full.

Fri, Mar. 8: shaping up to be the biggest night of early 2024. We have both a BlueShore show featuring the Sister Jazz Orchestra with Dee Daniels singing (tickets left are 'limited') as well as Dean Thiessen's big band, the Stranger Friends Orchestra, at the Fox. Which one for you? I've made my choice.

Fri, Apr. 19: pianist Aaron Diehl plays the Chan Centre, and there are still about two dozen of the most affordable tickets left. Diehl has multiple albums on the Mack Avenue label, including his latest, Zodiac Suite (2023).