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This article was published 18/04/2024 (539 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jazz orchestra pays tribute to Paris and the Duke

WJO Presents Ellington’s Great Paris Concert

• West End Cultural Centre
• Today, 7:30 p.m.
• Tickets $45 at winnipegjazzorchestra.com

Duke Ellington and his orchestra played all over the world during his 75 years, recording live albums at the Newport Jazz Festival, in Stockholm, on the Virgin Islands and even in Fargo, N.D.

One of Duke’s most memorable live records is 1973’s The Great Paris Concert, which is, in fact, from three shows recorded at the Olympia Theatre in Paris a decade earlier.

The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Neil Watson, will take a deep dive into the album tonight at the West End Cultural Centre.

The record includes Ellington classics such as Rockin’ in Rhythm, On the Sunny Side of the Street and Concerto for Cootie. The latter is considered to be jazz’s first concerto and is named after trumpeter Cootie Williams, who was part of Ellington’s orchestra in the 1920s when the Duke held court at New York’s Cotton Club, and during the Paris concerts.

— Alan Small

Celebrate 50 years of music at CCFM

• Centre culturel franco-manitobain
• Friday, 8 p.m.
• Tickets $25 to $45 at ccfm.mb.ca

Plus de 20 artistes franco-manitobains se produiront dans la Salle Jean Paul Aubry vendredi soir pour marquer un demi-siècle de musique au CCFM.

You heard that correctly: more than 20 franco-manitoban artists will perform in the Salle Jean Paul Aubry on Friday to mark a half-century of music at CCFM. (Hopefully, the French-English dictionary did its job.)

More than 20 artists? Let’s list them: Abrielle Turenne, Fabbio Vieira, Micheline Girardin, Domo Lemoine, Henry Onwuchekwa, Flora Luna, Sala, Jocelyne Baribeau, MJ Dandeneau, David Dandeneau, Douzie, Valjean, Caleb Dorge, Dominique Reynolds, Les Blés au vent, l’Ensemble Folklorique de la Rivière rouge, Gerry, Jacques Dorges, Mark Kolt and Dennis Connelly.

Presented by CCM with the arts organization 100NONS, the show will be hosted by Vincent Dureault with artistic direction by Laurent Roy.

— Ben Waldman

Earth Day at The Forks

• The Forks
• Saturday and Sunday
• Free, registration required for some events

Celebrate the planet this weekend with a bushel of environmentally friendly activities at The Forks.

Wander through the patio to find out what local organizations such as ArtsJunktion, Climate Change Connection, Fireweed Food Co-op, the Green Action Centre and more are doing to make Winnipeg a more sustainable city.

Fashion Revolution Winnipeg is hosting a community clothes swap, mending circle and patch buffet on Saturday in the EQ3 Lounge.

Planet Pantry is planting a tree for every purchase made this weekend. The zero waste shop in the Johnston Terminal is also hosting a houseplant swap on Sunday — leave a plant and take home a new one.

Haul your old computers, televisions, fax machines and cellphones to Mother Earth Recycling’s e-waste drop station.

Take part in an interactive eco-tour of The Forks grounds to find out how the organization is working to reduce its carbon footprint. The twice-daily tours are one-hour long with separate programming geared towards children and adults. Don’t forget to bring a bucket — The Forks is handing out free compost samples to home gardeners.

Visit theforks.com for a full list of events, activities and times.

— Eva Wasney

Prairie Fire launches climate-themed collection

• McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Park (1120 Grant Ave.)
• Friday, 7 p.m.
• Free

Plenty of ink has been spilled about our changing climate, and now Prairie Fire magazine launches a new issue featuring more about 2023 — the hottest year on record.

On Friday at 7 p.m., Prairie Fire’s latest issue, Burning Up, Burning Down, launches at McNally’s Grant Park location. The issue was guest edited by Sue Goyette and features all manner of ruminations on the balmy year that was 2023.

The event will be hosted by local poet Kristian Enright and feature readings by contributors including Rowan McCandless, Catherine Hunter, Margaret Sweatman, Deborah Schnitzer, Will Fawley, Evan J and others.

Admission is free, and the launch will also be streamed on McNally Robinson’s YouTube channel.

— Ben Sigurdson

Mini Pop Kids Live

• Burton Cummings Theatre, 364 Smith St
• Sunday, 3 p.m.
• Tickets $35.50 at Ticketmaster

The kids are back in town and they’re ready to sing your socks off.

The return of Mini Pop Kids Live this weekend will see the little tykes belting out hits by Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa, all in their trademark family-friendly style.

Shine your dancing shoes and prepare to sing along to to hits such as Havana, Savage Love, Girls Like You, Watermelon Sugar and 10,000 Hours.

The brand new high-energy Good Vibes Tour will also include some favourite throwbacks designed to get older audience members moving.

The Mini Pop Kids are between nine and 14 years old and feature a rotating group of talent that changes annually. The group has sold more than a million albums and has more than 30 million views on YouTube.

— AV Kitching

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