We are bringing the groovin’ 6 piece band (with BG guest - Jane Mortifee) back to Frankie’s Jazz Club! We’ve got some new funky jazz and soulful tunes to add to the mix! Stay tuned!

Band: Bill Sample (keys/vocals), Darlene Cooper (lead vocals), Miles Foxx Hill (bass), Randall Stoll (drums), Steve Hilliam (sax), Brian Harding (trombone).

Featuring the acclaimed husband-and-wife team of Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper, Wild Blue Herons deliver sophisticated, groove-driven jazz and funk with soul, gospel, and pop influences woven throughout. Their sound moves effortlessly from infectious jazz-funk grooves reminiscent of The Crusaders and Steely Dan to intimate, emotionally charged ballads inspired by the great ladies of jazz. The musical connection between Sample and Cooper is at the heart of the band, and forms the foundation of their latest album “It’s All About Love” – a contemporary blend of jazzy swing to funky ballads.

A BC Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee, Bill Sample has performed with legends including Celine Dion, Ray Charles, Kenny Loggins, and opened for Oscar Peterson. Darlene Cooper is celebrated as an engaging jazz, soul, and gospel vocalist whose collaborators include Eric Bibb, Dee Daniels, and Leon Bibb. One critic praised the duo’s performances as “pure emotion… a full on listening experience that sizzles deceptively.” (Chris Spector – Midwest Record) With appearances at festivals and premier jazz venues across Canada, Wild Blue Herons bring a polished, soulful, and deeply musical live experience to every stage.

Wild Blue Herons are thrilled to bring the full 8 piece band to Inlet Theatre in Port Moody as part of the Season 5 Inlet Music Series!

Wild Blue Herons are the sophisticated, groove-oriented jazz and funk ensemble fronted by the acclaimed husband-and-wife musical team, Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper. Their sound embraces a broad spectrum, from infectious, groove-oriented jazz/funk with a pop/gospel twist (reminiscent of Joe Sample’s Crusaders and Steely Dan) to powerful, intimate ballads by the great ladies of jazz.

The addition of a horn section in 2023 “sparked a shift toward a more groove-oriented, Crusaders-meets-Steely-Dan aesthetic - deep pocket, joyful energy, and sophisticated arrangements shaped by Sample’s writing.”

Collectively, this team of musicians has played with everyone from Ray Charles to Celine Dion.

Whether performing as an intimate duo or as a soaring full band—complete with a powerful horn section and a rhythm crew whose members have backed Van Morrison, Tom Cochrane, and k.d. lang—they captivate audiences with their world-class live show.

“Infectiously entertaining, incredibly well played and sang, superbly arranged, It’s All About Love is such a precious record, a ray of sun for the rainy days and a postcard to everyone's soul. Bravi, Wild Blue Herons.”  (Giovanni Pilati, Bluebird Reviews, UK)

“Pure emotion… a full on listening experience that sizzles deceptively” (Chris Spector, Midwest Record)