Flooring Darke Hall audience with Canadian classics

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Laila Biali and the Canadian Songbook Reimagined

On Jan. 29, on a warm winter evening in the middle of the week, a crowd gathered in Regina’s beloved Darke Hall to witness the talent of Canadian pianist, singer and CBC radio host Laila Biali and her band. Throughout the night, she took turns praising the prairies, celebrating the talents of her crew and paying great homage to Canada’s well-known songwriters of several generations. This night was the first performance of Biali’s new set, “Joni Mitchell and the Canadian Songbook Reimagined.”

Walking into Darke Hall that evening was like entering a huge room just buzzing with excitement and anticipation—the beautiful hall was ready for Biali. Joining her on stage that night were Mark DeJong on saxophone, George Koller on double bass and Ben Wittman on drums, all of whom shared the spotlight with their solos throughout the night.

Biali and her band captivated the audience immediately by kicking the night off with “Woodstock,” the first Mitchell song Biali ever arranged, If the stage were a canvas, Biali filled it beautifully , but with the layers the band added, the art they created went above and beyond. Wittman’s symbol work on this piece was especially colourful, and thrilled the crowd.

Before the next song, Biali expressed her love for Canada’s prairie . She shared some musical history with the audience, explaining how the time Mitchell spent at the Banff Centre in Alberta many years ago was like Paris to her. Biali then performed a lively rendition of “Free Man in Paris,” a song Mitchell wrote about her music agent.

Though the night was named for Mitchell, Biali delved deeper into the Canadian Songbook, as promised. The next song on the set list was k.d. lang’s “Simple,” during which the band courageously explored the versatility of each instrument on stage and displayed just how commanding each of their talents are. The following song was Daniel Lanois’ “Where Will I Be,” which Biali was introduced to through Emmylou Harris’ cover.

Biali circled back to Joni with the popular : “Big Yellow Taxi,” which Biali said was “exploring the tension between progress and the ancient beauty of nature.” Biali was introduced to this song by Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til It’s Gone,” which famously samples Mitchell. By this point in the set, the passion of the musicians involved made each arrangement better. Everything was, in some way, brought back to the elements of jazz which served as home base for Biali.

The next cover was Jane Siberry’s “Calling All Angels,” which came with a mesmerizing bass introduction, played with emotional intensity . Building on this emotion, next came Mitchell’s “A Case of You,” a classic from her record Blue, which Biali praised. Later, she performed “Little Green” from the same album, a song written by Mitchell for her birth daughter, whom she gave up for adoption in 1965.

In between Mitchell classics, Biali shared renditions of Ron Sexsmith’s “Secret Heart,” Sarah McLachlan’s “Ice Cream” and Feist’s “Mushaboom,” for which boomwhackers were brought out whilst the audience joined in on the fun by clapping along.

Again, the mood changed. The band’s next cover was “Stolen Land” by Bruce Cockburn, which featured a ripping saxophone solo over the song’s dancing colours and emotions. The next solo came with Leonard Cohen’s “Show Me the Place,” duringwhich Koller took it away again on the double bass.
Closing in on the end of the night, Biali performed one of her originals, an instrumental piece called “Radiance.” She shared how delighted she was to be playing the gorgeous piano at Darke Hall, a Fazioli concert grand piano which was gifted to the concert hall by Dr. Roberta McKay and Mr. Elmer Brenner. “Carnegie Hall called, and they’re a little bit jealous of this piano,” she joked, explaining that she’s a Yamaha musician herself but was honoured to be playing a Fazioli.

The last two songs of the set were a solo-piano rendition by Biali of Mitchell’s well-known masterpiece “Both Sides Now,” which has become even more special to Biali since having a son, and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold,” which the band turned into explosive jazz.

For the encore, Biali took the stage alone and performed Mitchell’s “River,” a touching way to end the night. Despite mentions of Christmas in the song, Biali reiterated its timelessness and brought the crowd to tears with her performance on a January night.

When asked how she believed the show went that night, Biali shared that “the audience in Regina was perfect for the launch of ‘Joni Mitchell & The Canadian Songbook Reimagined.’ Folks packed Darke Hall to near capacity and gave us the most beautiful prairie welcome. That energy and warmth sustained us through the rest of the tour. My husband and I also enjoyed a lovely walk around Wascana Lake before we set out for Saskatoon the following day.”