By KIRSTEN BOLTON
For ArtSpring
Led by acclaimed vocalist Dawn Pemberton and award-winning bassist Jodi Proznick, O Come All Ye Soulful is a Christmas concert that infuses classic songs with soulful energy to get audiences into the groove of the season.
Joined by an all-star band, Pemberton and Proznick now take to the ArtSpring stage on Tuesday, Dec. 17 as part of their B.C. tour. The show was originally scheduled for Dec. 14, but weather-related ferry cancellations made it necessary to reschedule to Dec. 17.
Showcasing their musical prowess and unmistakable camaraderie, the two have put a twist on holiday favourites by legendary artists like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald and Otis Redding.
The inspiration for O Come All Ye Soulful traces back to the pandemic when the duo was invited to join forces for an online holiday performance to give people a lift during a difficult time. For Pemberton and Proznick, the show was, and still is, about more than just the music — it’s about bringing people together.
With this in mind, the virtual 20-minute set of holiday favourites blossomed into a full collaboration to flesh out a heartfelt live concert experience that is both celebratory and reflective.
Pemberton, a Vancouver dynamo with a love for rhythm and groove, and Proznick, a Juno-nominated bassist and bandleader with an impressive career in jazz, have shared the stage many times. However, this project brought a new dimension to their partnership, including the challenge of curating a final set list they could both agree on from all the great songs they and audiences love.
In addition to Motown, the performance weaves more secular songs like What Christmas Means to Me and Christmas Time is Here from A Charlie Brown Christmas with sacred pieces such as Silent Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, offering a balance of classic carols and soul-infused renditions that promise to resonate with everyone.
Proznick reports that pulling the band together was easy. It consists of her own jazz quartet, which includes Tilden Webb (piano), Jesse Cahill (drums) and John Bentley (sax), with guest trumpet player Vince Mai, who the ensemble has worked with for over 20 years. For Pemberton, revisiting these holiday songs with such a talented group of musicians is a highlight of the show, but so too is the interaction with the audience, which can sometimes be quite emotional.
As the show continues to grow, the pair is excited about the future. Proznick looks forward to expanding it beyond its current tour and possibly recording an album that includes both reimagined holiday classics and original compositions. In the meantime, Pemberton will make an appearance on another venture of Proznick’s called The Ostara Project, a jazz supergroup featuring a rotating cast of award-winning Canadian women.