Rogue Folk Celebrates 22nd Birthday with Four Diverse Shows
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LUKA BLOOM |
VANCOUVER - The Rogue Folk Club was founded in May 1987 when Steve Edge and Margaret Whale teamed up with Stephen Fearing, Jane Gowan (Spygirl), and Rick Costigan with a view to presenting a series of folk and roots shows at the now defunct Savoy in Gastown.
A year and a half later, the Rogue found a new home at the WISE Hall, and presented hundreds of memorable concerts there before moving to its new home at St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue, in the heart of Kitsilano) in 2004.
The Rogue is 90 percent volunteer-run, with limited outside funding, yet has managed to present over 50 concerts per year of some of the very finest musicians on the planet.
Fresh from the success of the third annual festival of gypsy jazz - April In Paris - the Rogue celebrates its 22nd birthday with a concert featuring a hot new Canadian trio, The BOP Ensemble, on May 9 at 8 PM at St. James Hall.
Three forces of nature meet in The Bop Ensemble, featuring folk legends Bill Bourne and Wyckham Porteous, along with up-and-coming singer-bassist - and amazing hoop dancer - Jasmine 'Jas' Ohlhauser. In combination, the three manage to catch lightning in a bottle. Website: www.billbourne.com
On May 16 Calgary-based blues diva Ellen McIlwaine gives a rare solo performance at St. James Hall. This slide guitar legend was playing World Music before it was called World Music.
Her rhythm and blues roots along with middle-Eastern, Indian, Pakistani and West African influences are apparent in her amazing acoustic and electric guitar playing and her vocal acrobatics. Website: www.ellenmcilwaine.com
On May 22, The Rogue presents the Vancouver debut of The Folk Arts Quartet. FAQ combines folk styles from the fiddle world with the arts heritage of the classical string quartet. The result is a new hybrid genre, "Chamber Grass."
Emma Beaton is a young inventive folk cellist, vocalist, and banjo player from Vancouver Island. Victoria's Ivonne Hernandez is an award-winning fiddler and a Grand North American Fiddle Champion.
Hannah Read is a young fiddler and vocalist from Edinburgh. Violist Julie Metcalf began as a classical violinist in Worcester, MA. They met while studying at the Berklee College of Music.
Although all were classically trained, they each have extensive experience in folk styles from various countries. Website: www.folkartsquartet.com
On May 30 the Rogue welcomes back Irish troubadour Luka Bloom for his first Rogue gig since 1991!
The younger brother of influential Irish singer/songwriter Christy Moore, Barry Moore had tired of being in his brother's shadow when he decided to relocate to the United States in 1987.
Re-christening himself Luka Bloom during the long flight, he took the first steps toward establishing his own reputation as a skilled guitarist and uplifting performer.
Now, having trod the boards of stages all over the globe, 36 years of craft-honing has given Luka a secure place on the music map.
His live performances are prolific and highly entertaining, featuring his distinctive "electro-acoustic" style of guitar playing. He is touring with a great new CD, Eleven Songs, it's the latest in a long line of superb albums, showcasing his rich vocals and deep love of life, the environment, peace, music, world travel, and, well, love. Website: www.lukabloom.com.
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