KEN PRUE'S CHANSONS: for San Murata- In Memoriam

Experience Cobourg presents: KEN PRUE'S CHANSONS: For San Murata- In memoriam- A musical tribute

*Featuring Grammy-winner Drew Jurecka on violin, Reg Schwager on guitar, Neil Swainson on upright bass, and Beverly Taft on vocals

SUNDAY MARCH 29, 2026 at 3:00 PM

CONCERT HALL at VICTORIA HALL

*ALL PROCEEDS FOR THIS CONCERT WILL GO TO THE VICTORIA HALL VOLUNTEERS FOR THE CONTINUED PRESERVATION OF VICTORIA HALL

For more info visit: https://vhvcobourg.ca/

This very special concert features swing songs, ballads, blues, chansons, and bossa nova carefully chosen from San’s repertoire of romantic, sweet and charming music. Guitarist Reg Schwager, bassist Neil Swainson and singer Beverly Taft performed frequently with San over many years, in Cobourg and area, as well as in Toronto and Japan. Virtuoso - and recent Grammy Winner! - Drew Jurecka was San’s favourite living violinist. We are thrilled that Drew is able to join us for this performance in spite of his busy touring and performing schedule.

San Murata: San Murata was a gifted Japanese-Canadian who distinguished himself as a tennis champion, illustrator and graphic artist, landscape painter and jazz musician. He was born in Japan into a banking family in 1940 and came to Canada out of a sense of adventure after University. He had already taught tennis to members of the Japanese royal family. "I liked Canada" said San. "It was free, and open. I found work in Toronto as a tennis pro and a graphic artist working for CTV." San's artistic skills evolved and he became an art director and celebrated landscape painter. At fifty, San began to play jazz violin and this became his passion late in life. He played with Jazz singer Beverly Taft and bassist Neil Swainson with whom he made numerous musical tours to Japan. San teamed with Ken Prue in a Japanese-Canadian jazz festival that was staged in Cobourg. San returned to Japan frequently to sell his paintings and perform in jazz clubs. He died in Japan as a result of an auto accident in 2023. This concert at Victoria Hall honours his many talents and is presented by Beverly Taft and Ken Prue. Here is San in a performance with Tony Quarrington and Don Thomson.

Drew Jurecka: Performer, producer, arranger and composer, Drew is a classically trained musician known for his virtuosic violin playing and fluency in many different genres, from jazz and swing to klezmer, classical and folk. He has appeared on many Grammy-winning recordings, and this year he won his first Grammy as a producer (with Justin Gray, for “Immersed”). A multi-instrumentalist proficient on clarinet, mandolin, saxophone, viola, violin, viola, and more, Drew performs with many local and international musicians, including Alex Pangman, Payadora, “Schmaltz and Pepper,” and The Venuti String Quartet. San was deeply moved and inspired by Drew’s playing and would be thrilled - and in classic San Murata-style, self-deprecatingly intimidated -to have Drew performing his repertoire for this very special occasion.

Reg Schwager: A Member of the Order of Canada, Reg is one of Canada’s finest living jazz guitarists. He has performed and/or recorded with some of the brightest lights in jazz, including Peter Appleyard, Chet Baker, Emilie Claire-Barlow, Diana Krall, George Shearing, Don Thompson, and Mel Torme. An arranger, composer and bandleader, Reg’s work has been featured on more than 80 acclaimed recordings, as leader and sideman. He and San Murata performed together regularly for many years; his melodic playing, sensitivity, knowledge of hundreds of songs, and terrific time-feel made him one of San’s all-time favourites.

Neil Swainson: Four-time Juno award winner, and recipient of the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musician’s Association, Neil is among the most respected and accomplished bassists on the jazz scene anywhere. Some of the luminaries Neil has toured and recorded with are Ed Bickert, Herb Ellis, Roberta Gambarini, Barney Kessel, Moe Koffman, Diana Krall, and Nancy Wilson. Neil’s playing has been featured on several award-winning recordings, and he is also a much-heralded composer and arranger. His own discs as leader feature jazz heavyweights such as Joe Henderson, Jay McShann, and Woody Shaw. Neil’s deep, astonishing musicianship inspired San to bring the fellow painter to Japan several times for concerts, through which they became very good friends.

Beverly Taft: A beloved vocalist and lyricist, Beverly appears regularly at premier clubs in Toronto (including Jazz Bistro and The Rex), and has also been featured throughout Ontario at festivals and concert venues. A multi-linguist, she sings in French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has given concerts in Brazil, California, Florida, and Japan (where she lived for two years). She had the great fortune to tour Japan with San, performing in Hiroshima, Fukuoka-shi, and many other cities. Her CD of originals (co-written with guitarist Nathan Hiltz) was selected by Toronto Downtown Jazz as a special project, and received critical acclaim and airplay from local and international broadcasters. As one of San’s numerous close friends, she’s very happy to be part of this concert to honour his unique talent and personality.

SAN MURATA: "The Nearness of You"- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azi1HMuYHfo

Tickets are $35 plus hst and service fee and available at the Experience Cobourg Box Office: 855-372-2210