Vocalist/guitarist Rachael Chatoor has built a solid reputation as a versatile, go-to talent on the Vancouver music scene – and she’s also no stranger to White Rock and South Surrey.
Readers may know her from her regular solo gig at Sheila’s Bistro, or as front woman of Tom Arntzen’s Top 40 cover band Hitzone – frequently featured at Peace Arch Hospital Gala fundraisers – or recognize her from a memorable performance at Blue Frog Studios with Heart tribute band Barracuda, which included original Heart guitarist Roger Fisher.
She’s equally comfortable working solo, fronting a group, or being on board as a ‘hired gun’ on someone else’s gig – which is a necessary mindset in a profession where, as she admits, “everyone is in four different bands.”
But while she’s grateful for every opportunity to work in the field she loves, there’s a special place in her heart for the trio The Rockingbyrds, including powerhouse guitarists/vocalists Jeff Neill (Streetheart) and Russell Marsland (R&B Allstars), which will be showcased next Friday, Jan. 22, at Blue Frog Studios (1328 Johnston Rd., shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.)
“It’s a magical group,” she acknowledges. “Everyone is a vital member. It doesn’t ever feel like work.”
The “organic acoustic guitar and vocal trio” specializes in breathing new fire into classic songs of the `70s, `80s and `90s – a “musical journey from America to Zeppelin,” as their advance material proclaims – with all the experience to back it up.
Neill, for instance, has earned more than two dozen gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards in a three-decade recording career that has also included working with Loverboy, Joe Cocker, Keith Urban and Australian icon Jimmy Barnes, as well as sharing stages with the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, ZZ Top and Sting.
And Marsland – also well-known to audiences on the Semiahmoo Peninsula – cut his chops performing with the likes of Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, James Brown, the Allman Brothers and War.
Chatoor, well-versed in creating a warm, welcoming and inclusive ambience – as her evenings at Sheila’s attest – also has a powerful vocal talent, and the musical skills, honed over decades, to sell just about any song.
The added kick of working with The Rockingbyrds is that she gets to play her all-time favourite material, she said.
“Of all the groups I work with, this is the one that started with my songbook,” she said. “These are all the songs I love and wanted to sing. In my other groups, usually somebody else is giving me the set list, and while I love that and am so grateful to have that going in my life, this is the song list of my youth, and it’s so great that I get to sit down and play them.”
The songs The Rockingbyrds choose exert the same appeal for audiences, Chatoor noted.
“We’ve had people come up to us after a set and say ‘you just played my whole teenage years’,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘you’ve played songs I haven’t heard in 20 or 30 years.”
In addition to allowing them to share insider “road stories” inspired by each tune, the loose and intimate format of the Blue Frog show will permit audience requests – the trio virtually never works from a formal set list, Chatoor acknowledged.
“I don’t micromanage things,” she said, adding that Rockingbyrds audiences get to see the nuts and bolts of the musicians’ process of formulating an impromptu performance of each tune – and their ability to pretty much ‘nail it’ right off the bat.
Naturally, you can’t do that without feeling very secure and confident about your musical company – but Neill and Marsland are two of her dream musicians to work with, Chatoor said.
Mutual respect helps the trio mesh seamlessly, each taking turns in the spotlight without any collision of egos, she added.
“I’ve worked with Russell for a number of years on the Top-40 project and one day I was asked to do a duo and asked him to do the gig with me. He’s got about 30 years of experience on me, but he was just so polite and so supportive.
“We continued doing duo gigs after that, but one night Russell couldn’t make a gig, so I asked Jeff if he would come in for Russell.
“I knew right then I had to put the two together,” she said.
“As much as Russell lifted me up, he couldn’t be free to be the amazing (player) he is – I didn’t have the ability to back him up like Jeff can.”
Neill – while also possessed of incredible solo chops himself – has a great sense of group dynamic that adds to Rockingbyrds performances, Chatoor said.
“Jeff listens to what you’re doing,” she said. “He’s magnificent in holding it down and keeping it all together.”
Tickets ($38.50) are available at 604-542-3055 or through www.bluefrogstudios.ca
