Keelaghan tackles recent history with House of Cards
For a hi-rez version, right click the image and select "save target as."
House of Cards CD launch concerts
October 15th – Club Lambi, Montreal
October 28th – The Minstrel Café, Kelowna, BC
October 29th – Hermann’s Jazz Club, Victoria
October 30th – Grace Presbyterian Church, Calgary
October 31st – The Rogue Folk Club, St. James Hall, Vancouver
November 3rd – Sundre Arts Development Centre, Sundre AB
November 6th – 8th – Centennial Hall, Winnipeg MB
With the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
November 12th – Festival Place, Sherwood Park AB
Juno-winning folk artist James Keelaghan built his reputation on songs about history. On House of Cards, he delivers a killer song about the present. The album’s title track may be the first – and best – song written about our recent economic crisis, and Keelaghan sings it in a sharp-edged baritone, with brass melodies from a three piece horn section providing an air of anthemic dignity.
House of Cards (Borealis/Universal) was co-written in part with a quintet of musical heavy hitters, Keelaghan’s roommates from the writers house at last year’s Celtic Colours festival: Canadians David Francey, Rose Cousins and Dave Gunning, Scottish singer and fiddler Lori Watson and award-winning Scottish singer-songwriter Karine Polwart. It was produced by Keelaghan himself – the first self-produced album in his 11 disc repertoire.
A loyal adherent to the traditional Canadian folk style, Keelaghan expands that acoustic sound selectively on House of Cards to include a string section and the horns. His vocal performance is his best yet. Songs like the title track and “Medusa” – a reflection on how lives lost in war are quickly forgotten in the business of life – are a perfect match for the passion and emotion in his rich baritone. Other highlights include the uplifting “What’s for You,” about taking life as it comes, and the edgy “Since You Asked,” a musical lecture for all who have ever doubted their abilities. McConnville’s, a story song in the tradition of Keelaghan’s finest, is already an audience favourite in both the UK and Canada.
Accompanying Keelaghan on House of Cards are long-time musical companions Hugh McMillan (Spirit of the West) on bass, mandolin, and lap steel and David Woodhead (Stan Rogers, Oliver Schroer and Donne Roberts) on fretless bass. String arrangements were written by Zav (Jamie) RT, who gives “Medusa” a brooding tone, while the horn parts were written by McMillan.
Released in Europe at the end of August, House of Cards was declared one of Canada’s finest imports by the Irish Post and was Ian Anderson’s “CD of the week” on his widely listened to BBC radio program.
House of Cards follows the 2007 release of Buddy Where you Been, the long-awaited reunion album by Keelaghan and Latin guitarist Oscar Lopez. Released on the tenth anniversary of their debut, the album earned a Juno nomination for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group). The success of Buddy came on the heels of Keelaghan’s 2006 traditional album A Few Simple Verses, which earned him a Canadian Folk Music Award for Traditional Singer of the Year and was described by Sing Out as “the kind of CD that keeps traditional music alive and vital for coming generations.”
In addition to releasing Buddy, Verses, and his 2004 best-of collection Then Again, Keelaghan has spent the last eight years touring, setting up the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Folk School, mentoring young artists, and most importantly of all becoming a parent for the first time and raising his son.
He is currently on tour in England and will launch the Canadian leg of his tour at Montreal’s Club Lambi on October 15.