The last time Van Django was in Coquitlam, the acoustic string quartet was paired with the Quiring Chamber Players for a New Year's Eve show at the Evergreen Cultural Centre.
"And right after that concert, I spoke with the director about performing there again," said violinist Cameron Wilson. "It's taken two years to get back. We are really looking forward to it."
The Coquitlam gig on Friday will end their most recent tour, which started March 20 in Kamloops and continued the next two nights in Vernon and Penticton.
For the Okanagan dates, they were well received, Wilson said, as they played a mix of original compositions (many of them from their second CD, Waltz in the Shape of a Tree) as well as covers and "wacky" arrangements in the gypsy-swing tradition of Django Reinhardt and Le Hot Club de France.
Wilson, who like fellow Van Django member Finn Manniche (guitar/cello) is trained inclassical music, said the 16-year-old ensemble has a few things on the go this year including an appearance at a jazz festival in China and possibly a summer tour of the UK.
As well, they've been kicking around the idea of compiling a Christmas CD.
Next year, a visit to Europe is on the horizon.
Wilson himself just returned from the continent after winning a grant last fall to study with two top fiddlers in Franceand the Netherlands.
Asked what he learned during his two-week stint, Wilson said:"I think it's going to take a while to digest and to see if it's made a difference. The guys can already hear it: My use of harmony, chords and bow has changed. And I thought I was playing the style correctly all this time!"
Tickets for Van Django on Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m. are $30/$25/$15 by calling the Evergreen box office at 604-927-6555 or visiting evergreenculturalcentre.ca. To hear their sound, go to vandjango.com.
