Preview
ONALEA GILBERTSON
April 1 to 3
Beat Niq Jazz and Social Club
Swinging from old-style jazz and blues through Shirley Bassey remixification and on to Sinead O’Connor, expect Onalea Gilbertson and The Dandi Trio to lay down a swanky jazz odyssey.
Gilbertson, an accomplished actress just finishing a run of One Yellow Rabbit’s Heavens To Murgatroid, is also a symphony concert performer having worked with the Montreal and Toronto symphonies and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. For those who’ve seen Gilbertson’s numerous local acting gigs and musical theatre performances such as Assassins, Falsettos and Theatre Calgary’s Cabaret, this three-night solo club run will showcase the torchy side of her very versatile talent.
Gilbertson and husband Doug McKeag carry an affinity for both vintage vinyl and the Vegas lounge act. The two released Dick & Sandi Two Nights At The Grotto on their own Dandi Records in 2000. It’s a collection of muggin’ and smilin’ club jazz numbers performed by their satin-smooth, singing-duo alter egos and tricked out like a 1963 subterranean club performance. There’s a little bit of the Dick & Sandi show (literally and spiritually) as well as Doug and Onalea’s record collection in Gilbertson’s solo performance. Songs culled from a 1,000-strong, old-school disc collection combined with contemporary selections create a spectral flow. The somewhat familiar sounds of lesser-known jazz gems complement recent pop.
"I’m going to do a little bit of Radiohead and Sinead O’Connor," explains Gilbertson. "It’s just a matter of my trio and I working on our own style, our own original take on these songs. We just try to get our own groove with it and bring it to something that makes sense musically, so that it’s a journey through the night."
It’s the type of performance that comes with a martinis and scotch advisory. "I want people to feel like they’re coming into a club circa 1960," she continues, "and hearing both old style and new music that will push their minds. I want it to be sexy, elegant – a little bit of danger and groovin’ out." |
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