Diane Lines brings her smoky vocals and demon piano-playing ability to the Evergreen Cultural Centre this weekend for Jump! A Celebration of Swing, Boogie and Jump Blues.
The Port Moody resident is looking forward to bringing this creative re-casting of of pre-rock 'n roll history to Coquitlam for the theatre's popular Music on the Grill.
Back by popular demand, Music on the Grill is a fusion of food, music and fresh air, including a barbecue dinner served "al fresco." Lines will be featured this Saturday, July 6 along with pre-show music by Leo Bae Jazz Ensemble in the first of the two-show series.
She says she's thrilled to bring the show she co-wrote with Voni Grindler two years ago to a home town audience. It's already played to rave reviews on both sides of the border and she'll be heading down south to bring Jump! to audiences in Washington State and Oregon in the fall.
There's also a spin off for kids, called Jump Jr., which Lines brought to the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey and played before 11,000 kids.
SPIRIT AND ENERGY
"It's been really well received. It's fun music," she said of the production that traces the musical arc from the big-band sound at the end of the Second World War through to the 1950s era of swing, jump blues and boogie-woogie.
Lines said she's always been a fan of this era of music, even if it's not as widely known as rock 'n roll, and enjoys the spirit and energy of the music popularized by Louis Jordan, The Nat King Cole Trio, Big Joe Turner and Ray Charles among other performers.
Jump! grew out of a collaboration with Tony Chamberlist, who lends percussion and vocals to the production, Lines said, and was developed to show off her special skills and talents as well as her love for the era.
"I used to tour with the Henry Mancini alumni orchestra in a tribute show to him down in the States and the people that produced that show asked me if I would do my own show, I was thinking what I could do and Tony said, 'you love that jump blues stuff you should do Diane Lines Jump.'"
The show interweaves music such as Caldonia, a jump blues song first recorded in 1945 by Louis Jordan, with stories about the period. Her son, Sam Ellington, a Scott Creek middle school student and winner of Coquitlam District Music Festival for outstanding male vocalist, may also take a turn in the show portraying little Louis Prima, the American singer, actor and trumpeter.
Jump! also features Bill Abbott, Jen Hodge and Tim Porter on saxophone, bass, guitar and vocals.
"It's the little show that could, it's just kind of grown," Lines said.
SHOW DETAILS
A celebration of swing, boogie and jump blues runs Saturday July 6 at Evergreen Cultural Centre. Dinner 7 p.m., Concert 8 p.m. at the evergreen Cultural Centre, 1205 Pinetree Way. Dinner and show $50 at 6:30 p.m., Show only $30 at 8 p.m. Upcoming performances the Music on the Grill lineup include the Shari Ulrich Trio July 20.
