On the afternoon of Saturday, May 11, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in the Glebe will be filled with the sultry sounds of Ottawa jazz singer Diane Nalini as its popular Jazz & Tapas fundraising event returns.
Nalini began singing at age three and will perform with her husband and bassist Adrian Cho, who is the founder and artistic director of the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra (OJO). A teacher with Carleton University’s Learning in Retirement/Lifelong Learning program since 2011, Cho has been dubbed a “cool guide to hot jazz” by the Ottawa Citizen. He is also an accomplished wildlife photographer.
Singing and writing in four languages, Nalini has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival and released several acclaimed albums. In Ottawa, she sometimes sings at the National Arts Centre’ Fourth Stage with the OJO. She has also given gala performances for former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Sir Paul McCartney.
Joining Nalini and Cho for the church event will be Mike Tremblay, a superb saxophonist who often performs with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and is co-founder and director of the Carleton University Jazz Camp. His performance credits include Natalie Cole, Alanis Morissette and Lou Rawls.
The intimate Jazz & Tapas event will be held at the back of the church from 4 pm to 6 pm, a space with excellent acoustics. It is sponsored by Amica The Glebe which will also provide some tapas such as marinated lobster caps, duck confit spring rolls and caramelized brie and pear.
A delicious range of nibblies will be served including donations from local restaurants and food merchants. The last event received contributions from Flipper’s Seafood Restaurant, Von’s Bistro, Café Morala (now Happy Goat Coffee Co.), Erling’s, Irene’s Pub and Light of India.
Tickets will include food, entertainment and non-alcoholic beverages. A complimentary glass of wine or beer is included in the adult ticket price. There will also be a small silent-auction table.
After the last event in 2018, many guests offered enthusiastic compliments on the food and the décor, noting the night-club ambiance with black table cloths, red napkins and candles. “A resounding success all round, music, food, community and ambience,” one of them said.
Half of the proceeds will go to the Black Canadian Scholarship Fund (BCSF) administered by the Ottawa Community Foundation. Since 1998, the fund has provided bursaries for first-year university students who have graduated from Ottawa area high schools. Last year four scholarships of $6,000 each were awarded.
Tickets can be purchased through St. Matthew’s online boutique (auctria.events/stmatthewsboutique.com) Adults: $60, Students, (not including alcoholic beverages): $40. Saturday, May 11, 4 to 6 pm, St. Matthew’s, 130 Glebe Ave. entrance, just west of Bank St.
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