Laila Biali's Wintersongs is a musical love letter to the season

The Juno-winning singer-songwriter brings her most ambitious project yet to BlueShore at CapU on December 5

By Gail Johnson

Laila Biali.

The BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts at Capilano University presents Laila Biali on December 5 at 7:30 pm

JUNO-WINNING CANADIAN singer-songwriter Laila Biali wouldn’t have described herself as a winter person a few years ago, having grown up in rainy North Vancouver with little exposure to snowy seasons throughout her life like the rest of the country.

That changed during a two-week residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity late in 2021. She had a cabin in the forest with floor-to-ceiling windows and a grand piano to sit at. She fell in love with the snow-covered scenes before her. And she began a venture unlike anything she’s ever done before, her most ambitious project to date. Three years in the making, Wintersongs is her new album, a musical love letter to winter.

“I could not believe the winter wonderland I was surrounded by as I wrote this project from my cabin in the woods,” the Toronto-based Biali tells Stir. “And no matter how low the temperatures dropped or how blustery the weather, I made a point of breaking up my writing sessions with long hikes decked out in base layers, an ankle-long parka, snow boots, and crampons. No doubt my time spent out in the elements had an equal impact on the music I wrote while I was there.

“Wintersongs plays almost as a soundtrack for the season,” Biali adds. “Each song represents a different facet of winter that I have personally experienced, from softly falling snow to wind storms; the feeling you get when you skate along freshly glazed ice, the thrill of a sleigh or toboggan ride, the coziness of being tucked away indoors, the warm glow of a fireplace. It’s an invitation into the full range of winter experiences.”

Biali was raised as a classical musician but a car accident changed her life, and during her recovery, she segued to jazz. Her self-titled 2018 album won the Juno Award for vocal jazz album of the year, and she has earned several other nominations. She remains a fan of classical music, however. During the writing period of Wintersongs, she could hear a string quartet in the mix. So she teamed up with Grammy-winning arranger Drew Jurecka, who set the songs for the Venuti String Quartet.

“From the first notes I could hear strings as an integral voice on this album, perhaps because stringed instruments can pivot from adding warmth to bringing an effective ‘chill’, and I wanted both,” Biali says.

Things continued to expand from there. In the summer of 2023, she joined forces with acclaimed orchestrator Rob Mathes, who has worked with the likes of Sting and Bruce Springsteen. He arranged some of the songs for a 19-piece chamber orchestra, a rich complement to Jurecka’s stripped-down arrangements.

“We debuted Wintersongs at Koerner Hall in Toronto in December of 2022 with the string quartet,” Biali says. “But later that month I was invited to guest with the London Symphonia [in Ontario]. It was then that I got to hear a couple of these songs with an expanded chamber group. That whet our appetites to pursue something even larger in scope, and so we asked Rob Mathes if he could orchestrate a few of the tracks. We were completely thrilled when he agreed—the stuff of dreams!”

When Biali appears in her hometown of North Vancouver for a concert at BlueShore at CapU on December 5, she will be joined by a seven-piece ensemble including Grammy-nominee and fellow Juno-winner Jane Bunnett (who plays saxophone and flute), violinist Rebekah Wolkstein, violist Shannon Knights, cellist Amahl Arulanandam, bassist Dan Fortin, and drummer Ben Wittman. Plus, Capilano University’s NiteCap jazz-vocal ensemble will perform as special guests on a couple of songs.

The evening of music will feature original material alongside arrangements of beloved secular and sacred classics.

“I love how dynamic a season winter is,” Biali says. “It’s a time when we can retreat into warm spaces with hot cuppas, enjoying the coziness of being indoors and away from the cold—the contrast. But I also love venturing out for walks and even ice skating—a pandemic discovery—bundled up in layers and winter accessories. You just have to dress for it to enjoy it.” 

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