The Sechelt Summer Music Series continues with two performances on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the outdoor stage in Hackett Park.
The lineup begins at noon with Susana Williams, whose musical career began in Caracas, Venezuela, at the age of 13. Williams is an irrepressibly-energetic vocalist and percussionist. She is the singer for the largest Latin-Jazz music orchestra in western Canada, Goma Dura, and the legendary Latin band Rumba Calzada.
The Mitch Lazer Quintet — led by Lazer himself on drums — will play a tasteful selection of jazz, pop and Latin standards, with improvised solos from some of the finest musicians on the Sunshine Coast. Lazer has been performing at blues, jazz, rock, folk and Latin music festivals for more than 40 years.
He’s joined by keyboardist Bill Barclay, bassist John Parker Toulson, and guitarist Budge Schachte.
Grooving in Gibsons
The Music in the Landing concert series takes place each summer weekend at Winegarden Park on the Gibsons Harbour foreshore.
On Friday August 5 at 7 p.m., acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Joe Stanton will present his fusion of bluegrass and folk during a live concert. Stanton has released six albums and is an acclaimed fixture of Sunshine Coast performance venues year-round.
On Saturday, August 6 at 3:30 p.m., singer and pianist Luci Herder performs a Joni Mitchell tribute. Herder is a musical mainstay on the Sunshine Coast and has performed at the Pender Harbour Blues Festival, at the High Beam Dreams event centre in Gibsons, and around the world.
On Saturday evening at 7 p.m., the local group Ya Ya Shine (formerly known as Tongue and Groove) will play on the Winegarden Park stage. The Ya Ya Shine musicians combine jazz, soul, songwriting, and alt-folk to create musical experiences that exult in harmony and infectious rhythms.
Creatively Engaging
Bruce Devereux is the Recreation and Volunteer Manager at Good Samaritan Christenson Village in Gibsons. Through a podcasting workshop, he met Lithuanian concert pianist Monika Mašanauskaitė, who performed in person at Christenson Village this week.
Last week’s Coast Reporter told the story of Mašanauskaitė’s poetic friendship with Gail, a Christenson Village resident.
Devereux’s podcast is titled The Creatively Engaging. It features conversations with thought leaders and storytellers around the world. Episode Six recounts the story of Gail’s international friendship, couched in music and poetry. Listen for free at www.thecreativelyengaging.com.
Guts, grains and glory
The Sunshine Coast Lions Club has announced that the 2022 Davis Bay Sandcastle Competition will take place on Sunday, Aug. 13.
Registration is required, and will open at 10 a.m. that morning.
Contestants have 90 minutes to build a masterpiece before the prize presentation at 1:30 p.m. Awards will recognize children, families and groups.
In the Distance, Off the Page
Three live play readings have been announced as part of the Off the Page performance series.
All readings will take place at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse.
On Sunday, Sept. 18, local playwright Mary Burns’s script Stu and Dick Hit Vegas will be in the spotlight.
On Oct. 2, Kico Gonzales-Risso’s play Inquisition will be read by an ensemble cast in front of a live audience.
James Fagan Tait’s Roadkill will be featured at the reading of Nov. 6.
Tickets and additional information are available at the heritageplayhouse.com website.
