Laila Biali is looking forward to her first appearance in Estevan.
The acclaimed jazz singer, pianist and songwriter will perform at Estevan Comprehensive School on Oct. 26, starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be through the Estevan Arts Council’s Stars for Saskatchewan series.
Biali said her prior appearances in Saskatchewan have been limited to Regina and Saskatoon. So she is excited to have a tour of 15 Saskatchewan communities that will take her to cities and towns she hasn’t been to previously.
Smaller communities represent her preferred location for a concert.
“It’s the intimacy of the spaces,” she said. “Sometimes we’re still playing in larger theatres that can accommodate a few hundred people, but for the most part, they are more intimate spaces, and it’s just closer access to the listeners. So the live experience feels more joined together. We can really feel the energy of the listeners.”
It’s vastly different from a show she’ll play in her hometown of Toronto in November that can have as many as 1,200 people present, and has a huge stage.
“I value the intimacy and the closer exchange of communication that I think does happen in live music,” said Biali.
The show in Estevan will see her play some of her own jazz music, but also music from other genres. It’s a show that she described as the Great Canadian Songbook.
“There will be songs by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Coburn, Daniel Langois, Neil Young, Sarah McLaughlin and Feist,” said Biali. “We are able to invite people into a listening experience that’s familiar and new all at once.”
Jazz can be intimidating for some people, she said, because it’s a genre they don’t identify with. So she wants to present jazz in a way that is accessible, enjoyable and recognizable for people.
Biali will also mix some storytelling into the performance.
The opportunity to perform in Saskatchewan came through the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. The agency has an annual showcase event in which musicians apply to perform for a tour of the province. Biali applied, played for the showcase and was selected to tour throughout the province.
When she isn’t touring, Biali is the host of Saturday Night Jazz on CBC Radio. She served as an interim host for another jazz program on the network during the summer, and was asked if she wanted to host Saturday Night Jazz.
“It’s been amazing,” said Biali. “It’s been a new hat for me. It’s not entirely dis-similar from what I do live.”
She believes one of the reasons she was asked to do Saturday Night Jazz is one of the producers of the show, Lauren Hancock, has been a fan of Biali’s for years.
Biali is excited to showcase the talents of some prominent and up-and-coming musicians.
“I’m discovering groups and artists and materials that cover the country,” said Biali. “Bands out of Edmonton, out of St. John’s, out of Vancouver, Ottawa, Saskatoon, and of course the smaller cities surrounding those major cities. It’s been a huge education for me, and it seems to be never-ending.”
It has been challenging trying to balance her recording and touring career with her host duties, since she needs time to write the shows and create the content. But she believes the host gig has enriched her life.
Tickets are still available for Biali’s concert in Estevan. They can be purchased in advance at Henders Drugs, or at the door.
