05/26/2026
Here is the June, 2026 Newsletter:
Greetings and salutations, gentle reader! It’s time to talk about the upcoming June 19th, 2026 Deep Cove Coffee House.
For those in a hurry, here is a brief summary. For the details, read on.
Among a season of highlights, our June concert will be a standout.
We have so many wonderful performers, and only 10 concerts per year. So occasionally we do a double feature, giving us a chance to present two outstanding acts.
This June 19th we’ll see two National Treasures, Bill C**n and Miles Black, performing an opening feature set. The closing feature set will include Bill C**n and the lovely and talented vocalist Laura Crema.
The Details
If you haven’t heard these three outstanding performers before, here’s some biographical information:
Miles Black
Based in Vancouver BC, multi instrumentalist, jazz educator, composer and arranger Miles Black has been performing, recording and touring professionally since 1980. Since then, Miles has worked with many jazz luminaries, including Harry Sweets Edison, Maynard Ferguson, Max Roach, Lew Tabackin, Paul Horn, Skywalk, George Coleman, Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan and Dee Daniels.
Bill C**n
Guitarist-Composer-Educator
Guitarist Bill C**n is an important part of the Canadian jazz community as a leader of his own groups, and an active collaborator with many musicians across the country. His long-time association with vocalist Denzal Sinclaire resulted in several recordings, including the Juno-nominated I Found Love. He has performed with: Jimmy Heath, Peter Bernstein, Sheila Jordan, Dee Daniels, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Lorne Lofsky, Roddy Elias, Maureen Kennedy, and John Gross.
C**n has collaborated on recordings with many vocalists including Sienna Dahlen, Jennifer Scott, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, Karin Plato, Steve Maddock and Rebecca Kilgore. C**n’s long-time collaboration with vocalist Laura Crema produced several recordings including StringSongs, a collection of original songs featuring Peggy Lee and Jon Bentley. Recent recordings on Cellar Music include Slow Road with Triology (Miles Black, Jodi Proznick, Scott Hamilton) and a solo guitar album Standard Elegance.
As an active composer-arranger, Bill has been awarded commissions for the Jill Townsend Jazz Orchestra, Cory Weeds’ Little Big Band, and the Vancouver Jazz Orchestra. He’s written orchestral arrangements for vocalist-trumpeter Bria Skonberg for her performance with the VSO, and is currently composing music for his BC Double Quartet, an eight-piece group that combines a string quartet and a jazz quartet, featuring Cameron Wilson and Brad Turner.
As well as maintaining an active performance and composing schedule, Bill is an influential teacher. He is a former Jazz Studies instructor at Capilano University, and is currently on the faculty of the VSO School of Music in Vancouver, BC.
He has received Canada Council awards to study with Jim Hall, Neil Chotem, and Dr Louis Stewart, and in 2009 was recipient of National Jazz Awards guitarist of the year. As a member of Jasmine Jazz, he shared the 2023 Western Music Award for best instrumental recording.
“Longtime music allies Bill C**n and Miles Black are teaming up to pay tribute to the great jazz duet of Jim Hall and Bill Evans. The music these two luminaries created on two legendary albums (Undercurrent and Intermodulation) set a new standard for this unique format. Black and C**n are excited to share their personal interpretations of music inspired by these jazz heroes”.
Laura Crema
Laura Crema is a distinguished Canadian jazz vocalist renowned for her powerful voice, marked by depth, resonance, and interpretive sensitivity. A versatile and sought-after collaborator, she has recorded and performed with leading figures in Canadian jazz, country, and improvised music, as well as within the Roma Jazz community. With six critically acclaimed albums to her name—including her most recent collection of original works co-created with guitarist Bill C**n—Laura has toured across Canada and Europe. Her career includes performances at some of the country’s most prestigious venues, notably the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Beyond her work as a vocalist, Laura is also an accomplished dancer and interdisciplinary artist.
"Laura Crema's sultry vocals pull you deep into the dark, smoky room of some 40's speakeasy where torch songs spoke volumes from the heart, unadulterated musical silk, and not to be missed." CBC Radio.
“Acclaimed Vancouver vocalist Laura Crema and National Jazz Award winning guitarist and composer, Bill C**n craft music that is intimate, spacious, and richly expressive. With Crema’s expressive and resonant voice and C**n’s agile, harmonically rich guitar work, they move effortlessly between jazz, blues, folk, Latin and original compositions. Their performances emphasize nuance, connection, and the art of listening, resulting in a sound that feels both immediate and timeless”.
Coming soon:
In September we will welcome noted Victoria mandolinist and all-around polymath Rick Van Krugel, with your humble scribe on vocals and guitar. This will be another 50-year anniversary concert---stay tuned.
In October we will welcome back the fabulous (and newly minted and proud Canadian) Kristina Olsen.
November will bring the return of the lovely and talented Karin Plato and ukulele maven Guido Heistek.
Stay tuned for a Christmas surprise.
Logistics:
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2026
Place: Mount Seymour United Church, 1200 Parkgate Avenue, North Vancouver
Time: Doors open at 7:00 P.M. Music starts at 7:30
To help Spread The Word
Please feel free to email or print and distribute the poster (included below) to bulletin boards, restaurants, community centres, libraries, etc. And also feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone who may be interested. This helps to spread the word, and is much appreciated!
Our posters are produced by talented graphic artist Luzia Bowden. Thanks, Luzia, your posters are always great. If you need someone to design a superior poster, we highly recommend Luzia.
Questions? Booking inquiries? Contact John Lyon, 604–929–8757, [email protected]
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John Lyon is a North Vancouver-based singer-songwriter and folk musician. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the BC music scene, and has been making music for live audiences since the sixties. John is known for his vibrant and moving vocal performances of American Songbook jazz, for performances with bands like Blackfish Sound and Roadside Attraction, and for his solo work at clubs and festivals across Western Canada. His song “Home, Dear, Home” arranged and adapted for his father, a west coast salmon troller, is “unquestionably one of the most beautiful of all our British Columbia folksongs”, according to the BC folklore Society. For many years John has also organized the Deep Cove Coffee House, a vibrant community-based musical evening/extravaganza.
