February’s snows scuttled multi-talented Salt Spring Island songstress Sue Newman’s plans to bring her swinging ’n’ crooning jazz to Crofton.
But don’t worry, she’s re-scheduled for Sunday, May 5 at Pat’s House of Jazz in the Osborne Bay Pub.
“A performance by Newman will leave you on a real high,” says series publicist Gloria Collins. “She bubbles with such energy and joy that she always leaves you wanting another hit.”
Her unique style, honed by years on stage with bassist Ian Van Wyck and guitarist Peter Taschuk, lends itself to shades of blues, rock and soul as she covers jazz and Latin classics, show tunes and originals.
For this gig, she also welcomes Victoria drummer Dave Emery and trumpet player Michelle Footz, who has settled down on Salt Spring as the high school’s band and choir teacher after a musical pursuit took her across Canada, the U.S. and South America.
Newman studied jazz with Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan at the Banff Centre, but her talent is limitless. She is also a well-known performance art instructor as well as a dancer, producer and director on Salt Spring Island.
After a childhood in Southern California, where she performed with her jazz musician parents, Newman came to the island with them where they found an audience for their bands and musical shows and also found students for her dance, theatre and voice lessons.
She has choreographed or performed in musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, as well as in Spamalot and Into the Woods, as the Diva and the Witch respectively.
Newman has also sung with Hugh Fraser, Valdy, Randy Bachman, P.J. Perry and Bill Henderson, among others.
The show is part of the Sunday afternoon jazz series presented by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society and supported by the Osborne Bay Pub. Admission is $15.
Reservations are highly recommended. Tables will be held until 1:30 p.m. For information, call 250-324-2245 or visit http://osbornebaypub.com.
