Jazz duo Heather Keizur and Steve Christofferson are bringing their bilingual performance to Vancouver Island for a string of shows in Port Alberni, Courtenay and Nanaimo March 22-25.
Playing together for more than nine years, Keizur and Christofferson released their first album as a duo last August.
Taking about four years to complete, Keizur says their album Moon River is “comprised of greatly crafted songs with spectacular lyrics and beautiful melodies.”
“We just went in the studio every four months or so and when we got there we would decide on the spur of the moment what to record; whatever was on our hearts at that moment,” Keizur said. “We didn’t ever decide ahead of time what we wanted, except the song Moon River, I really wanted that one on it.”
After four years of working on the album, Keizur and Christofferson had 40 songs recorded. They chose their nine favourites for the album. She said that all nine songs are ballads and emotional in their own way.
Audiences can expect an array of songs from Moon River during the duo’s upcoming concerts, as well as songs in both French and English.
“I like to sing both because each language has it’s own flavour and I think it adds to the richness of the program,” Keizur said. “We will be comprising from the CD but then also performing some really sexy French bossanovas and some cheeky swing tunes.”
Christofferson accompanies Keizur’s singing with piano and melodica, and adds his own voice for the pair to perform duets.
“The melodica is such a beautiful instrument, it sounds like a clash between a harmonica and an accordion. It goes very well with the French songs,” Keizur said.
Now living in Portland, Keizur moved around Canada a lot as a child and actually graduated from Alberni District Secondary School. She said during the Port Alberni show at Char’s Landing, the duo will play some surprise songs for “very special life-long friends” who will be in attendance.
“I can’t tell you what they are because I don’t want to give away the secret but something that makes me think of those people but also when I lived in Port Alberni,” she said.
The pair play Char’s on Friday, March 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the date. They will be in Courtenay on March 22 at the Avalanche Bar and Grill and in Nanaimo at The Lighthouse on March 25.
This will be the duo’s third time playing Char’s.
“We Really look forward to being at Char’s again because it’s such a great venue, it’s such a warm and welcoming room and a great listening room…we really enjoy being there,” Keizur said.
