A Coquitlam jazz artist has one thing to say to anyone who thinks she's too old to release her first CD: "Too damn bad."
That phrase comes more often than not to Gabriole Sinclaire, a long-time music teacher, who says you're never too old to do something you love.
"I tell people, 'Don't give up,'" says Sinclaire, 69, who has just released her first CD, appropriately named Too Damn Bad, and is performing at a launch party on Saturday at Place Des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam).
Backed by local musicians, including retired Port Moody secondary school music teacher Gord Hembruff, Sinclaire sings and plays piano on the 10-track album that includes a mix of popular standards and a few of her own creations.
Needless to say, one of the songs is also titled Too Damn Bad.
"I'm a bit late in the game," Sinclaire acknowledges.
She credits an early introduction to jazz in the 1960s Vancouver club scene for her current passion.
But after a brief stint owning a jazz club with her then husband, Sinclaire put her musical inclinations aside to support her family.
She became a registered music teacher and taught out of her Burke Mountain studio for many years but now she's able to dedicate herself completely to jazz, honing her voice and practising her phrasing.
It's time for other people to teach F-sharp, says Sinclaire, although she enjoyed teaching music to children, who would sometimes get so wrapped up in the experience they called her mom.
Now, she continues to play corporate gigs, festivals and has regular appearances at a jam session at the Gallery Bistro on Clarke Street in Port Moody, and is the pianist and vocalist in the Inlet Big Band.
There is no stopping her, she says, and she has a good role model. Her mom is 104 and moved out of her apartment not long ago.
Tickets for the Place Des Arts show at 7:30 p.m. are $18 and available by calling 6040664-1636 or visiting Brownpapertickets.com.
