Wild Blue Herons - It's All About Love (2026)

The husband-and-wife team of Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper - known collectively as Wild Blue Herons - return in 2026 with It’s All About Love, a soulful, groove-driven set of original music shaped by a lifetime of shared artistry. Blending jazz, funk, gospel and contemporary pop influences, the band’s third album captures the expansive sound they’ve honed on festival stages and club dates across Canada.

With It’s All About Love, Sample and Cooper widen the lens. Adding a full 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. The album moves fluidly between jazzy swing, funk-driven anthems and soulful ballads, unified by themes of presence, gratitude and keeping love at the centre.
Recorded with a band of long-time collaborators - musicians whose résumés include work with Van Morrison, Tom Cochrane and k.d. lang - the project captures the warmth, chemistry and lived-in musicality that define Wild Blue Herons’ live shows.

Darlene Cooper - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Bill Sample - Piano, Hammond, Rhodes, Backing Vocals
Tim Porter - Guitar
Miles Foxx Hill - Bass
Randall Stoll - Drums
Steve Hiliam - Tenor Sax
Jim Hopson - Trombone
Tom Keenlyside - Flute (Track 6)
Dawn Pemberton - Guest Lead Vocal (Track 4), Backing Vocals
Jane Mortifee - Backing Vocals