HOLLY BURKE
The Poetess of Lost Lagoon

by Carlos Daez
(click images to enlarge)

Flutist, vocalist, pianist, poet - Holly Burke balances these titles gracefully. A longtime presence in Vancouver’s jazz scene, she continues to find much inspiration in the West End. She signs off on her blog as the “Poetess of Lost Lagoon,” but the nickname fits.

**holly burke - the poetess of lost lagoon.** *(Brian Powell Photo)*

Often credited as a lyricist and multi-instrumentalist, Burke has spent years writing, performing, and collaborating across the Lower Mainland with her band, The Naturalz. She started early, writing for piano and recorder as a child and later studying music and theatre, before finding her way into jazz, improvisation, and the airwaves of CBC and NPR.

In a recent December interview with The West End Journal, Burke briefly described a life built around sound, words, and the neighbourhood’s daily rhythms. “I have to have a lot of nature around me,” she enthused. With work so closely tied to the outdoors, one of her nicknames, she said with a laugh, is “Nature Girl.”

A NEIGHBOURHOOD MUSE …

Burke didn’t originally plan to live in the West End. “It was actually my son who recommended the West End,” the Toronto-born artist revealed. Only after moving here did Burke discover that her grandparents had lived in the same area during the 1920s. “My grandparents were right here, doing a lot of the things that I do - walking around Lost Lagoon, spending time in Stanley Park.”

“The West End - or the best end - really suits my muse,” Burke added. “I feel like I’m in the sweet spot of the sweet spot…nourished and fed by life here. You can walk anywhere, you can talk to anyone, and it’s very friendly.” From her apartment view (“a bird flyway”), she can see all the way out to Bowen Island while hearing children play down below. “I have a constant, very active view - there’s always stuff going on.”

**holly burke on stage with bill runge on saxaphone.**
*(Sapalo Shafooli Photo)*

HOW A NEW PIECE BEGINS …

Being around constant activity helps inspire her work. Asked how a new piece starts, Burke paused before answering. “Very often, it’s a feeling, an emotion, or an experience. A deep feeling becomes a springboard…I have to express that feeling.” But inspiration can also arrive through accident: an “interesting pattern on the piano,” or even a mistake. “It might be some surprising thing out of left field - ‘Oh, what was that?’ - and then I love it,” she answered.

Sometimes, writing comes quickly; other times, it evolves through versions. “Sometimes I cry when I’m writing a piece of music,” she admits, “because it becomes so much the truth.” For Burke, music “takes you on an inner journey” - for the listener, yes, but also for the person writing it.

ONSTAGE WITH THE NATURALZ …

Live, Burke is often joined by co-composer Bill Runge (pronounced “rung-ee,” like the rung of a ladder, in her own words) as well as their longtime collaborators, The Naturalz. According to Burke, the appeal of playing with a band is about “the joy of co-creation.” “We are together, we’re all making this one thing at the same time,” she explained. “We’re kind of like acrobats…we have to be there for each other. A sort of, ‘will you catch me if I jump over here?’”

But the surprises matter, too: “It’s the unexpected things that happen sometimes that are the absolute best part.” At a recent show in Frankie’s Jazz Club on Beatty Stree., Burke brought something new to the set: her poetry. “We did something we’ve never done before,” she recalled. “We brought out some of my poetry…we really didn’t know how it was going to come off.” The Naturalz had rented a handpan (a metal, disc-shaped instrument, with “a mesmerizing tone”) and layered spoken word over it. “It creates the bed, and then you lay the spoken word over the top. It creates a magical atmosphere.”

The audience response, she recounted, was “fantastic.” There were “ripples of laughter and enjoyment, but also tears.” After the show, a listener congratulated her, saying, “This is exactly how I feel when I go out into nature. You’ve captured my exact feelings.” For Burke, it was both a surprise and affirmation. “It was extremely inspiring,” she admitted - enough so that the component would be part of future shows.

HOW TO HEAR HOLLY …

Holly Burke & The Naturalz are scheduled at Frankie’s Jazz Club on Sunday, January 18.

First-time listeners are directed to recordings on Bandcamp under The Naturalz, as well as Burke’s official website and blog (hollyburke.com), in addition to the usual YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram links.

The West End Journal concluded its interview by asking Burke where to start for first-time listeners. Her latest poetry in 2025, 2012’s Costa Rica-inspired Nature Girl? Or perhaps one of her voiceover (VO) credits? “I honestly do not know what the best [way] is,” she laughed. The simplest support, she later concluded, is direct: “Come to the show! You are warmly invited.”