Stream Team: Reviews Week of June 18
Ginalina and Miranda Currie @ Folk On The Rocks
June 18
Featuring pop and folk music for children, Miranda Currie and Ginalina entertained a rowdy crowd of kids eager to sing, clap, and jump around. While many caregivers joined in the fun, at least one left the room entirely, prompting a participant in the chat to scold a child to get off the couch. An impressive Lego structure may not have fared as well.
Fun fact: Lego comes from “Leg godt,” a Danish phrase meaning “play well.” And play well they did!
Currie opened the show from Sombe K’e/Yellowknife where she occasionally incorporated some of the Tli’cho language she’s been learning into songs about bears, beavers, bobcats, and narwhals. Ginalina performed from her home in BC, joined at times by her children on accordion, ukulele, and cajón. Singing in English, French, and Mandarin —accompanied by an ASL interpreter—Ginalina performed a variety of sing-along songs and shared some of her journey to becoming a first generation singer-songwriter—her family emigrated from Taiwan—±and the importance of sharing her culture with her children. —Julie Wilson
Cory Weeds’ B3 Trio
June 19
Introduced as one of the “best saxophone players on the west coast,” Weeds and his band—organist Nick Peck and drummer Joe Poole—did not disappoint. Playing live from the Water St. Cafe in Vancouver as part of the Gastown Jazz Festival, the trio rattled through two sets of classic covers and originals to a small but enthusiastic crowd. Social distanced but playing perfectly together, Weeds’ B3 Trio swapped solos all night, as multiple cameras switched between musicians. Playing baritone sax live with an ensemble for the first time, Weeds merged energy and skills seamlessly, reminding us why we love live shows so much. —Oliver Crook
Gabrielle Papillon and Raine Hamilton song circle
June 21
Gabrielle Papillon and Raine Hamilton were set to tour their latest albums—Shout and Night Sky, respectively—when COVID-19 struck. Instead, they met in the ether: Papillon in Nova Scotia, joined by Sean MacGillivray on upright bass and harmonies, and Hamilton in Manitoba, sporting a sweet five-string fiddle and a llama party hat. Spanning their full discographies (minus Shout, which Papillon deemed too poppy for the stripped-down set), the artists traded songs for a generous hour-and-a-half, sharing numbers about profound experiences of depression, “stealth protest songs,” and transformational encounters found in childhood episodes of Sesame Street.
Highlights: Hamilton’s skillful vocals and performance of “It Matters,” on National Indigenous Peoples Day, inspired by an altercation between a First Nations elder and the police; Papillon’s stirring performance of “Go Into the Night,” inspired by the night her great-grandmother gave birth in a lighthouse while her husband perished at sea while seeking a doctor. The event itself is being developed into a musical, written by the artist. —JW
Dalannah Gail Bowen & Billie's Blues: A Tribute to Billie Holiday
June 22
It was an honour to watch one legend cover another on Monday night. Canadian blues singer Dalannah Gail Bowen—who’s graced the stage with musical greats such as BB King and Freddie Hubbard over her half-century career—turned her attention to the seminal Billie Holiday. With a respect usually reserved for saints—and pipes that haven’t aged a day—Bowen poured her soul into Holiday’s classics, taking the emotions on as if they were her own. The pinnacle was closer “Strange Fruit,” which left the audience in audible awe. As long as Bowen is leading the tribute, Holiday’s legacy is in safe hands. —OC