Burnabyguitaristretraceshismusicaljourney Communitynow

AbhinayaNatesh anatesh@burnabynow.com

At his Burnaby home ahead of the final performance of the 2023 Jaz’N’the’Violin concert series inVancouver, one of Canada’s most beloved jazz guitarists, Bill Coon, looks back on his musical career from “stealing” his brother’s guitar to being named Guitarist of theYear in 2009.

Coon was young when he was first introduced to music through classical piano.

Growing increasingly frustrated playing the piano, a young Coon stumbled upon his brother strumming on his guitar.

In a conversation with the NOW, he recalled thinking, “How hard could it be?” Hoping to test his luck with the stringed instrument, he picked up the guitar, instantly fell in love and never looked back an act he would partly describe as “stealing the gui- tar from his brother ”

“I just took to guitar like a fish to water,” he said “I just instantly loved the guitar and had an affinity with it ”

It wasn’t long before he realized he wanted to make music a career “I was playing a gig with my friend, and I remember playing at a Mexican restaurant we made $30,” he said

“And I thought I would be doing this at home for free, (now) they’re going to pay me to do this I just couldn’t believe that someone was going to pay me for doing something that I loved So that was the light bulb moment ”

Coon’s journey as a guitarist began with him playing blues before switching to jazz He was introduced to the latter genre in Montreal through a friend whose father was a jazz musician One day in the fall of 1995, following a show about Nat King Cole called Unforgettable with vocalist Denzal Sinclaire, Coon said he wound up lovingVancouver, and he settled on theWest Coast

The guitarist, who has been a recipient of the country’s many accolades in music including Juno nominations and awards from the BC Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts has studied with music legends like the late jazz musician Jim Hall, Neil Chotem and Rick Wilkins, and has collab- orated with many significant jazz artists including Jimmy Heath and Eddie Daniels.

Playing the guitar gave Coon the freedom to improvise, express himself and pay tribute to the jazz legends before him, he said “I love this music so much that I want to share it with people and that keeps me performing ”

Coon can be found collaborating with many artists around the world, including local musicians like Burnaby-based Laura Crema, the CoryWeeds Quartet andTriology, with Miles Black and Jodi Proznick, who will appear together alongside MadsTolling in the final Jaz’N’the’Violin concert series

It’sTriology and Coon’s first collaboration with Tolling Coon is ecstatic to be performing with the Grammy-winning artist

“Triology is an interesting band,” he said “Although we play a little bit of original music, when the three of us play together. we surprise each other … we don’t talk about what we’re going to play. For example, Miles will start playing a song on the piano.… He doesn’t tell us what song or what key he is going to play it in. Then Jody and I add ourselves to that song.We all take turns doing that. So that’s kind of an interesting idea of the band. And it’s going to be interesting to see how that concept of Triology works with Mads and what he wants to have happen in the music ”

Aside from performing and composing, Coon also teaches music at Capilano University The final performance of the Jaz’N’theViolin concert series will be held on Sunday, May 7, at Pyatt Hall in downtownVancouver

Single concert tickets are priced at $35 for students/ seniors and $40 for general admission For more information, visit musickit com

Saturday, May 6

This weekend is the launch of Burnaby Village Museum’s summer season and of its new exhibit Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby The new exhibit was developed in close connection with Burnaby’s South Asian community. Past museum favourites will continue to delight, like the Burnaby Lake General Store and playing Majhong at the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee herbalist shop. With tons of activities for kids and lots of things to learn for adults, this is fun for the whole family

WHEN: May 6 to Sept 4 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday

WHERE: 6501 Deer Lake Ave.

COST: Free admission; carousel rides $2 65, for more information go to burnabyvillagemuseum ca

Saturday, May 6

Join Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley and Dr Davidicus Wong, along with a team of Burnaby family doctors, to chat about healthy living in an “invigorating community walk” The Burnaby firefighters will be on site from 9 a.m. to noon.

WHEN: Saturday, May 6 from 9:30 a m to noon, see schedule

WHERE: Confederation Park track (250 Willingdon Ave )

COST: Free, register in advance online at tinyurl.com/ BurnabyDocWalkMay2023 all weekend

Get ready Burnaby, TJ Fest is back with an incredible array of street vendors! This is the 11th annual TJ Fest, a community cultural event with food, performances and tons of activities

There will be free carnival games for kids, tons of fantastic Taiwanese and Chinese street food and food trucks Performances will include Colours of Dance Academy, Shaolin Martial Arts Academy, Southern Wave Okinawan Music and Dance Society and Panwiberry SFU.

WHEN: Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7 from 11 a m to 4 p m

WHERE: Tian-Jin Temple (3426 Smith Ave )

COST: Free admission

The Burnaby Festival of Learning is on this week with a cornucopia of events that are sure to be informative and interesting.

Whether it’s a story walk in Edmonds Park (Friday, 4 to 5 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.), a pop-up tasting event at YVR Prep (Friday, 6:30 to 8:30 p m ), a drop-in community rangoli installation (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), a forensic science event for kids (Saturday, noon to 5 p m ) or an informal musical concert sharing traditional instruments from all over the world (Sunday, 3:30 to 5:30 p m ), you’re sure to learn lots.

WHEN: Now through Tuesday, May 9

INFO: festivaloflearning ca/events

The Vancouver Ikebana Association and Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre are hosting what will be a stunning presentation of Japanese flower arrangement. Multiple schools of Japanese flower arrangement from around the Vancouver area are showcasing their art as well as the Nikkei Bonsai Society

You can also sign up for a workshop that will teach you the tips and tricks to basic Japanese floral design (see tinyurl.com/IkebanaWorkshopNikkei2023 for more).

WHEN: Saturday, May 6 from 11 a m to 4 p m ; Sunday, May 7 from 10 a m to 2 p m

WHERE: 6688 Southoaks Cres

COST: Free admission, donations accepted

And don’t forget Burnaby Youth Week runs from now until Sunday, May 7. For more info, visit tinyurl.com/ BurnabyYouthWeek2023

Compiled by Lauren Vanderdeen