James
Keelaghan is one of our nation’s finest singer-songwriters. For almost a
quarter of a century, this poet laureate of the folk and roots music world has
gone about his work with passion, curiosity, and intensity. Possessed of an
insatiable appetite for finding the next unique story-line, along with a
beautiful and expressive tenor voice, James forges his lyrics with brilliant
craftsmanship and artistic vision, making him one of the most distinctive and readily-identifiable
voices on the Canadian singer-songwriter scene. Now, Edmonton and area music
lovers can enjoy the James Keelaghan experience at Horizon Stage on Sunday,
November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
A
disciplined visionary, Keelaghan loves language and history, a subject in which
he earned a degree. He is a skilled
thespian, which explains his ability to make an immediate connection with a
live audience; and he has an ear for memorable melodies and harmonies that make
those melodies glisten. "I’ve always had the urge to write," says the
Calgary native who has been calling Winnipeg home for the past few years.
"Some things weren’t being said in the way I wanted to say them, some
things were not being written about at all. That's why I started to write the
historical material. That led me to writing my own personal narratives as
well.” His catalogue of timeless originals includes the haunting pieces “Kiri's
Piano”, “Cold Missouri Waters” and “Hillcrest Mine”.
Never
shying away from collaboration in his live and recorded performances, James has
toured or laid tracks with Steven Fearing, Oliver Schroer, Oscar Lopez, David
Francey, and Hugh McMillan (Spirit of the West). "If you work with people
who are better than you, you become better," he observes. “The sparks of
collaboration and the batting of melodies back and forth have produced some
wonderful results”. Other artists, including Garnet Rogers, have lovingly
covered James’ material and he, on occasion, has interpreted his fellow
musicians’ work including a gripping take on the epic “Canadian Railroad
Trilogy” on the Gordon Lightfoot tribute disc, Beautiful.
James
Keelaghan finds a balance between examining the lighter and heavier sides of
life and ties everything together with his powerful vocal delivery and a
commanding stage presence. He has performed
everywhere from large festivals and concert halls to intimate folk club venues
and sometimes invites the audience for a beer after the show. Tickets to see him Up Close &
Personal at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove are $30
for adults, $25 for students and seniors and, $5 for high school students
through the eyeGO program. Tickets can be purchased at the City Hall Ticket
Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. To learn more about James
Keelaghan visit www.keelaghan.com.
“James
Keelaghan is a voice in contemporary Canadian songwriting that has helped us
define who we are as a people. He writes with great humanity and honesty, with
an eye to the past and a vision of the future. He has chronicled his times with
powerful and abiding songs, with heart and eyes wide open.”
David Francey, Juno
Award-Winning Musician
“A brilliant tunesmith who has become one of
the most engaging performers of our time. You always know the journey with
James is going to be great, you just never know what all the destinations are.”
Terry Wickham, Producer
of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival
“Canada’s finest songwriter.”
“Canada’s finest songwriter.”
Dave Marsh, award-winning
American music critic and historian
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