Dawn Aitken would like to take you on a musical journey.
The Langley singer will present an evening of eclectic, smooth jazz on Friday, May 16 at Porter’s Bistro and Coffee House in Murrayville.
Aitken, who moved to Langley two years ago, will be joined by Bill Sample on piano, Rene Worst on bass and Buff Allen on drums.
Like the selections on her independent jazz CD, Be Cool, Aitken’s Murrayville performance will offer a mix of styles, said the singer.
“I’m a horse of a different colour. I don’t really fit in to any particular category.”
From The Nearness of You to Love Potion #9 and Somewhere over the Rainbow, Be Cool contains a dozen tunes, all performed in Aitken’s sultry and unhurried style.
Discussing the disc’s first track, “The Nearness Of You” Jazz Review’s John Gilbert described the piece as “languid in form and hot in substance.
“Aitken wrings the bottom out of the notes on this ballad. She spins the lyrics beautifully and the melody is artfully adhered to with a few twists and turns that only add to the sensitivity of this sweet tune, wrote Gilbert.
Be Cool was produced in B.C. in the early 2000s, with some of the top players in the Vancouver area and was touted as a strong first effort for an independent artist, said Aitken, who will sell copies of the disc at her Porter’s performance.
The concert marks a return to the stage after a long hiatus.
“The demands of raising a child alone made continuing with my career here in B.C. very difficult and I had to step away for a few years,” said Aiken, now happily remarried and a grandmother of two.
“But it is my sincere hope that I will have the opportunity to pick up where I left off.”
After putting out a few feelers in the area and finding little success, Aitken finally managed to convince the bistro owner to take a chance on her.
“It took me a while to get in there,” she said. “I wandered in and hassled him for about a year.
But the singer is excited at the prospect of performing for the Langley audience.
“It’s the first step on the road to getting back to music,” she said.
“I love to sing and I’m pretty good at it.
“It’s going to be a good night and I’d like to invite Langley to come out and enjoy it.”
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Dawn Aitken and Friends will perform as part of Porter’s Live Music & Dinner Weekend on Friday May 16, at 6:30 p.m. To reserve, call 604-530-5297. Porter’s is located at 21611 48 Ave.
For more information go to porterscoffeehouse.ca and click on music events.
Meanwhile, jazz fans can check out Aitken’s vocals on reverbnation.com/dawnaitken
