Singer Shari Ulrich Finds Her Way to Oliver

Juno award winner Shari Ulrich sings about finding her son in her new release ‘Find Our Way’. She is touring the Okanagan with a stop in Oliver. Be sure not to miss this amazing performer! You will be in for a treat!

Wed. May 26th, 7:30 pm,
Quails Nest Art Center
34274 – 95th St. (past the RCMP Stn.)
Tickets $22.50
Available at Handworks Gallery, Main St., Oliver, B.C.
Or call 250-868-8255 to charge by phone
 
Joining Shari on tour are special guests daughter Julia Graff (violin, piano, accordion, mandolin, vocals)  and partner Bill Runge (piano, bass, accordion, soprano saxophone).

Originally a California girl, BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Inductee and Juno award winner Ulrich’s career took her through the Pied Pumkin and The Hometown Band to become a Canadian solo artist who continues to inspire audiences, and set the bar for two generations of female singer/songwriters.

The multi talented singer, songwriter and instrumentalist is now joined on her solo shows by her 19 year old daughter Julia on violin, piano, guitar and vocals along with partner and Jazz great Bill Runge. She continues to tour and record with the Pied Pumkin, Ulrich Henderson Forbes, and recently with Barney Bentall and Tom Taylor. She also composes for film and television and produces the Vancouver Bluebird North concert series for the Songwriters Association of Canada.

In August of 2007, Juno-winning recording artist Shari Ulrich spontaneously signed up for one of those web sites that helps reunite adopted children with their birth parents.  Within 48 hours, she was talking on the phone with the son she had handed over at the unwed mother’s home 39 years earlier.  She had been barely 16 at the time.  The joyful reunion is chronicled on “By the Grace of Goodbye,” one of the highlights of Ulrich’s new CD, Find Our Way—her seventh solo album and her first ever fully self-produced project. Best of all, the May 7th CD release concert at the Rogue Folk Club will see the whole family perform together for the first time—including son Mike Magee, who, it turns out, plays percussion.  

A member of the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame, Ulrich has absolutely nothing to prove as a singer, musician or composer, so to say that Find Our Way maintains the consistency of her previous recordings is a compliment of the highest order.  That she achieves this having taken control of the production for the first time is a toast to both her skill and—she says—to the influence of the producers she worked wit along the way.

Ulrich, who has always been exceptionally generous about sharing her personal joys and sorrows with her fans—whether in her lyrics, on her web blog, or in her public advocacy for survivors of assault—offers more glimpses into life and family on Find Our Way, sharing thoughts and stories that countless others will be able to relate to.  “(Now You’re) Gone” is inspired by her daughter Julia’s leaving home to go to university.  “Life Goes On” and “Everlasting Great Regret” are reflections on life’s unexpected turns.  “What She Left for Us” is a tribute to her late mother.  Then, of course, there’s “By the Grace of Goodbye,” a moving number that avoids both sentimentality and melodrama while tackling a subject that has been surprisingly under-sung-about.

The arrangements on Find Our Way are a true family affair, with violin parts performed by Ulrich’s daughter, Julia Graff, and piano and bass lines provided by her partner, jazz legend Bill Runge.  Ulrich herself plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle, piano, cello and accordion.  Additional contributions come from friends Barney Bentall (harmonica), Karen Savoca (percussion) and David Celia (guitars), among others.  The classic roots instrumentation provides a tasteful backdrop for Ulrich’s voice, which is every bit as pure and expressive as it was in the 70s, when, as a member of Valdy’s Hometown Band, she first won audiences over with her rendition of Joe Mock’s “Flying.”

Transplanted from San Rafael, California during the height of the flower child era, Ulrich made a name for herself in Canada as a member of the seminal West Coast folk outfit, Pied Pumkin.  Her breakthrough came when she joined the Hometown Band, with whom she won a Juno for Most Promising Group. She went on to release two solo albums with A&M Records and one with MCA, earning a second Juno—for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year—and two subsequent nominations for Best Female Vocalist. When the majors released her from her contract in the wake of corporate mergers, Ulrich began recording as an independent artist, while also pursuing a wealth of other projects.  She produced segments for Sesame Street, wrote and hosted CTV’s Inside Trax, co-hosted Futurescan with David Suzuki and composed for film and television. Ulrich has recorded three independent albums and released a Best Of compilation.  She is also a member of the folk supergroup UHF, along with Bill Henderson and Roy Forbes.  Most recently, she has been recording and touring with Barney Bentall and She Stole My Beer’s Tom Taylor.

Sixties with a Twist

Cool mod to protest songs to California -dreamy beach songs, to groovy psychedelic … the Sage Valley Voices takes you on a magical mystical tour of the sixties at their upcoming concert: Sixties with a Twist!  You can expect the choir to get their groove on wearing tie-dye T-shirts and headbands or mod suits with narrow ties.  This group is always sure to entertain.

"Merry Christmas!" Concert with the Sage Valley Voices

141126c1  The Sage Valley Voices present
  “Merry Christmas!” Concert
  Saturday December 12
  7:00 p.m.
  Sunday December 13
  2:30 p.m.
  Oliver United Church
  Admission: $8.00
  Donations to the foodbank welcome
  Admission includes tea, coffee and    goodies after the performance.

“Merry Christmas!” Concert with the Sage Valley Voices

141126c1  The Sage Valley Voices present
  “Merry Christmas!” Concert
  Saturday December 12
  7:00 p.m.
  Sunday December 13
  2:30 p.m.
  Oliver United Church
  Admission: $8.00
  Donations to the foodbank welcome
  Admission includes tea, coffee and    goodies after the performance.

Music in the Park continues in August

The poster below lists the August concerts. For the July concerts, scroll down the page, look under “latest posts” , visit the “Upcoming!” page, or use the search tool and enter “Music in the Park”.  

If the weather is foul, the concerts go on! Our rain venue is the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre at 34274 – 95th Street, Oliver (south of the RCMP and Fire Hall, and west across the strett from the Oliver airport).  For a map, search this site under “Quail’s Nest Arts Centre”.music-in-the-prk-august-web

Penny Buhr Johnson Concert a Hit

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Penny Buhr Johnson enthralled a near-capacity audience at her Coffee House concert at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre on June 25th 2009.  Singing songs from jazz and pop to inspirational, many composed by her, Johnson admitted to her audience that the love songs are her favourites. The singer-songwriter also told stories about some of her past performances and a beautiful dream she once had. 

Penny was a long time resident of Oliver and an adored music teacher with Music for Young Children until her move to Saskatchewan a few years ago. 

Since her move, Johnson has focused on her singing career, and has produced three CDs, her latest being “Vision” which was released in 2008. Her hard work and artistry has been rewarded with numerous awards including Country Gospel Music Assoc. 2008 Female New Artist award, and four more CGMA Silver Heart Awards at the 2009 CGMA Convention in High River, AB  for Female Full-Time Vocalist, Songwriter Full-Time, Bilingual Artist, and Instrumental Artist. Penny displays her five awards in the bottom photo. You go girl!

Emotional at times, Penny expressed her happiness at visiting Oliver BC once more. We were delighted to have her appear at the Quails’ Nest.

 

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Photos by Heather Fink

June 24th – Coffee House Concert

Coffee House Concert
featuring
Penny Buhr Johnson
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Singing a variety of  music from gospel to jazz and blues
Thursday June 25
7:00 p.m.
Studio Building,
Quail’s Nest Arts Centre
$10 tickets at the door (includes refreshments)
A former Oliver music teacher, Penny moved to Saskatchewan and her musical career took off!  She was awarded the Country Gospel Music Assoc. Female New Artist of the Year in 2008, and has performed in several venues in the USA, Mexico and  the Canadian Prairies.  She has produced three CDs her latest being “Vision” which was released in 2008.   An exceptional musician with a great voice, Penny’s concert is sure to delight!