A gypsy jazz band is brightening up Metro Vancouver next month with its Cool Yule show.
Van Django is spreading the holiday cheer with two performances in December at Coquitlam's Evergreen Cultural Centre and the Rogue Folk Club in Vancouver.
And the ensemble — made up of Cameron Wilson (violin); Budge Schachte (guitar); Finn Manniche (guitar and cello); and Brent Gubbels (bass) — will be joined by two guests: vocalist LJ Mounteney and Andy Hillhouse on guitar.
Mounteney is often described as Canada's version of Bonnie Raitt while Juno award winner Hillhouse is one of the country's finest Celtic guitarists and is the founder of Mad Pudding; he is also the executive and artistic director of the Harrison Festival Society.
Cool Yule includes a mix of old-time Christmas favourites, such as "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Let It Snow," "Silent Night," "Silver Bells" and "Christmas Time is Here," as well as jazz standards, sing-alongs, pop tunes and a few surprises in the style of Django Reinhardt, who is best known for forming the Paris-based Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934.
Tickets for Cool Yule on Sunday, Dec. 3, are $37/$34/$16 by calling the Evergreen Cultural Centre box office at 604-927-6555 or visiting the venue’s website. The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m.
