Old Friends, New Friends

September 7, 2008

Dear Everyone,

It was a beautiful day today and we had a wonderful brunch hosted by our good friends Ann and Bruce. I was sipping tea (in a beautiful teacup embossed with pink roses) while admiring the beautiful flowers in their garden.

Thank you for coming to Rossini’s last weekend. It was a very enjoyable evening with friends whom I have not seen for almost a year. The Bob York Trio was awesome and we made beautiful music together. It was a lot of fun!

This Sunday, September 14, I will be appearing at the Jazz Vespers in St. Andrew Wesley United Church located on Burrard and Nelson. Show is between 4 to 5 pm and there is free parking underground. I am quite honored to be in the company of Miles Black on piano, Nino DiPasquale on drums and Dave Guiney on bass. It will be a fabulous set! I will be performing most of Miles’ arrangement for this show. Entrance is by donation. So please mark this date on your calendar and please bring your friends.

It was nice to see old friends from Vancouver again especially Cecile who celebrated her birthday that night. Yes, it was a treat to see the gang and my “survivor sisters”. Cecile, Marissa and I have battled hard to beat cancer and we are all feeling great! Thank you very much!

Arlene and Richard were there. (Remember Arlene? We got trapped in the elevator). Yes, she has recovered from our traumatic experience. And how can I forget Brian, Dianne and Maureen (my favorite audience).

This past week was about connecting with old friends. We spent time with our friends Mike and Marilyn from Minnesota and we toured them around Vancouver and the surrounding areas. That was quite a pleasant experience. It reminded us of how beautiful this city. Sometimes we take these blessings for granted.

It’s going to be sunny and warm this coming week so enjoy and see you soon!
Thank you for your support.

Luv,
Armi

Summertime and the livin' is easy.....

August 19, 2008

Dear Everyone,

Summer is almost over and it seems that the brief heat wave we had has lost its steam. Thank you to all who came at the Cellar Jazz Club. We had a great time and the music was superb. As usual, the band was fabulous led by Miles Black on piano, Gabriella Ciurcovich on bass and Nino de Pasquale on drums.
Next week, August 29 and 30, I will be performing at Rossini’s in Kitsilano. This is my first gig this year at Rossini’s (since I’ve been away the first half of the year). So please drop by, have dinner or a couple of drinks. Bob York Trio will be backing me up and I m sure you'll have an enjoyable evening with us. My set starts at 8:45 till about midnight. For reservation, please call 604-737-8080.
Talking about Bob, we were at his “Do Nothing Cozy Cove” in Belcarra and we had a lovely afternoon devouring our picnic lunch, swimming (ocean) and soaking in the hot tub (salt water) and then climbing 150 steps of stairs. The tram is a work in progress right now, so if you have problem with your breathing, stay on the dock. The Indian Arm (Burrard Inlet) was so busy with kayakers, canoers, boaters, swimmers. It felt like we were sitting on Robson Street people watching. Thank you to Bob and Ingrid for a wonderful time.
Yesterday, my friend Arlene and I got stuck for over an hour in an elevator on the 8th floor of her condo building. This is one of the most dreadful things that could happen to you especially if you’re afraid of heights (Arlene) and claustrophobic (me). It was hot and waiting for help took forever (it seemed). We kept our sense of humour telling each other’s stories. It got so hot that we tried to imagine that we were in an igloo. When that didn’t work we tried to relax by sitting (doing a yoga pose) which also did not work because Arlene started banging the door and pressing the bell 10 times. When they plucked us out of there, it felt like being recued from a disaster zone.
Keep cool everyone. Thank you for your support and see you at the gigs. Hasta Pronto! .....Armi

luv,

Armi

Guadalajara, Mexico to Courtenay,BC

I had a wonderful trip to Guadalajara, Mexico about 2 weeks ago (again). The weather was mild and rainy. It is the second largest city and the cultural centre of Mexico. There is so much to see, beautiful churches, paintings, murals, sculptures, mariachi bands and all the shops of talented artists. There are two “districts” which are noted for shopping and arts and crafts of various designers, they are Tlaquepaque and Tonala. My head was spinning just browsing around and the price!!! Wow! I just recently learned that Guadalajara is a “shoe heaven”. One street was lined with several blocks of shoe stores. Guess how many pairs I bought?

We had a great show in sunny Courtenay,BC last weekend and it was a nice reunion with the Viva Jazz trio and some great musicians from the island. I would like to thank Bill Street (drums), Gerry Palken (keys), James Lithgow(bass), Dan Craven(sax), Dave Stewart(trumpet), The Elk’s Club and Georgia Straight Jazz Society. Everyone had a fun evening and the audience was so appreciative and very supportive. Thank you so much.

I’m back in Vancouver again so please don’t forget to see me at the

Cellar Jazz Club on August 7, 7:30 pm with Miles Black on piano, Gabriella Ciurcovich on bass and Nino DiPasquale on drums. There is a $10 cover charge,so please call 604-738-1959 for reservation.

I will also be appearing at the St. Andrew’s Jazz Vespers on September 14 at 4 pm with Miles Black Trio.

See you at the gig and enjoy the long awaited summer!

Sincerely,

Armi Grano