The musically seasoned trio, Bentall Taylor Ulrich (BTU), are bringing their acoustic folk blues show to Char’s Landing on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Barney Bentall, Tom Taylor and Shari Ulrich first played together in 2007 at a songwriters showcase on Bowen Island.
“We did that one concert and it was really well received and we loved it,” Ulrich said. “That’s sort of how I find the best musical collaborations are born; naturally. It happens once and it feels so great you want to do it again.”
A year later, the trio went back to Bowen to play a concert which they recorded for a live album. In 2016 the band released Tightrope Walk on Borealis Records, recorded at Bentall’s Bowen Island home with Ulrich’s daughter Julia Graff and partner James Perrella engineering.
“We don’t write together, we arrange our music together, especially for this last album because most of them were new songs that hadn’t been recorded or performed before. It’s one of the fun things to do as a trio,” Ulrich said.
As solo acts, each member of the band have many albums and awards under their belts.
Ulrich was named the Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards for her eighth solo album Everywhere I Go, released in 2014. In addition to singing and writing music, she plays violin, mandolin, flute, piano, sax and dulcimer.
Taylor, who first came into the public eye in the ‘90s as a member of She Stole My Beer, has been concentrating on his songwriting, emerging as a solo artist.
Bentall and his band The Legendary Hearts were well known in Canada through the ‘80s and ‘90s. Bentall has since released three solo albums including his latest, Flesh and Bone.
The folk blues trio have managed to find four days in their busy schedules to come together for a Vancouver Island tour.
“If it’s more than one show its a tour,” Ulrich laughs.
Ulrich describes the band’s sound as acoustic bass with guitar, violin and mandolin.
“We all sing and do three-part harmony which is one of my favourite things in music,” Ulrich said. “It’s really songwriter based, the crafting of the songs is really important to us.”
As for a BTU live concert, Ulrich said audiences can expect an enjoyable show.
“There’s some storytelling and lots of humour. We’re all very comfortable performing and we all really like each other so there’s a lot of warmth and brotherhood and sisterhood that comes off the stage,” Ulrich said.
“There’s nothing that makes people feel better then live music.”
Tickets for the show are $25 or $22 for seniors and youth. They can be purchased in advance at Char’s from 4 p.m. daily or by calling 778-421-2427. The show begins at 7 p.m.
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