Cape Breton Jazz Festival

Workshopping Your Songs with a Band

Presented by Barbra Lica, Jazz Singer, Composer, Arranger

 Saturday, June 17, 2023, 9 am to 12 noon 

Hearthstone Inn, Kings Rd. Sydney. Pre-registration required. Registration Cost $50

The Barbra Lica Quintet will workshop select songs/arrangements submitted in advance by workshop participants. Together we will bring your song selections to life with a real-life quartet (piano, bass, guitar and drums), fine-tuning melodies, chords, and lyrics while searching for optimal tempo, key, and instrumental parts. Our group will highlight elements of contemporary song structures and examine effective use of re-harmonization, ostinato patterns, and repetition. This workshop is a unique opportunity for new and established performers and/or songwriters to emulate the pre-production process and receive feedback from a professional recording musician. Appropriate for high school and post-secondary level students as well as adults with basic music/composition/arranging experience. Jazz standards and original compositions both welcome!  For further information or to register contact Carl Getto at capebretonjazzfestival@gmail.com or at 902-565-1092.

                                               Doris Mason Information

                           Doris Mason Friday, June 2 2023 6 pm to 9 pm at Daniels Alehouse

Doris Mason who hails originally from Pictou County, Nova Scotia, and later from Halifax, Nova Scotia has been a renowned vocalist and pianist playing the eastern Canada music and beyond for over 40 years. 

Several years ago, Doris performed at the Cape Breton Jazz Festival to a full-house at Cape Breton University, playing a show based on Ella Fitzgerald’s music.

In her earlier days of playing, Doris spent much time touring throughout Cape Breton, meeting Cape Breton musicians and music fans who always remember her as someone who gives an entertaining show. As Doris relates: 

“I first performed in Mabou, Cape Breton, with my band at the Hall there. Before setting up we stopped by and had a visit with the Beatons. 

The prior summer, I had jammed with the Cape Breton Symphony at the Montreal Olympics. I remember John Morris Rankin, of the renown Rankin family, and myself taking turns on the piano until the wee morning hours. 

My next major visit to Cape Breton was with the Mason Chapman Band. With Bruce Chapman and myself both on keyboard, along with a band, we played across the Island from Port Hawkesbury to Margaree to Sydney,

Following the Mason Chapman touring, I was approached by Steve MacDonald to take part in the ‘Rise and Follies of Cape Breton.’ Afterwards I then spent nine years with the Cape Breton Summertime Revue.

After the Revue, I recorded the CD called ‘Photograph’ which received an ECMA nomination.

Later, I was fortunate to open for Dionne Warwick when she played in Halifax. At another point I put together a touring band which featured Denny Doherty from the historic group Mamas and Papas. We presented his show called ‘Dream a Little Dream’, touring throughout Eastern Canada and the United States for 10 years. Richard Burke from New Waterford, Cape Breton, was an active member of this show, playing multiple instruments and singing the classic songs. The show had major runs in Halifax, Toronto, Cleveland, New York City, including performances in Kansas City, St. John’s, Newfoundland, and the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay.

I also had the opportunity to be musical director and performer in the show “Drum’ which was a cultural spectacle of Native American, French, Celtic and African histories from throughout the Maritimes. The show actually played for former American President Barack Obama when he visited Halifax.”

For her June 9 gig at the Cape Breton Jazz Festival 2023, Doris will bring an outstanding group of musicians to assist her in showcasing her vocal and piano style. 

A special feature of Doris’ bandmates will be drummer Steve Gaetz who is one of the top jazz drummers on the east coast music scene. What makes Steve’s relationship to Cape Breton special is that he was the drummer for the Cape Breton Summertime Revue for several years. Steve also has had the distinction of studying jazz at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, and having performed with The Big Band of the University of Miami.

During her Cape Breton Jazz Festival show on June 9 Doris will be playing original material from her recordings, classic jazz gems and some new compositions that will be presented in Sydney first. As well, she’ll be paying her tribute to Sydney jazz legend Rudy Pace-with the tune “Rudy’s Den”, while providing piano and vocal scat solos

Joining Doris on guitar will be James Logan who studied at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish and who has played with Doris over the last two decades in the show DRUM!, Nova Scotia’s Multi-Cultural Music Spectacle. James is also a sound engineer and has his own studio. J H L Productions.

Larry Bjornson will be manning the double bass. He is mega-talented and has studied at McGill in Montreal and Wayne State University in Detroit. Significantly he performed with the famous band “The Moody Blues”, and has also backed up personalities like Joan Rivers, Regis Philbin and is now stationed in Halifax with “The Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy”, as well as playing weekly jazz shows in downtown Halifax.