James Keelaghan's latest album, House of Cards, was released recently and being the fan that I am, I couldn't miss the show on Friday at Grace Presbyterian Church. It wasn't a packed house, but the floor was a good 3/4-sold-out.
Anyone who reads here knows that I've been a Kelo fan for years. My friend Henry from Rosseau introduced me to James' music back in the early 90s. Every time I go to a show I think of Henry (who passed away a couple years ago) and I thank him for broadening my music horizons away from mainstream contemporary pop and rock - the world in which I do much of my work.
Folk music is all about the stories, and as James pointed out on Friday, the stories continues to evolve. Years ago he wrote the song, "Kiri's Piano" - about the Japanese internment in Canada during the Second World War. A while back he was touring through the States and played a town where he knew the organizers of the folk club who sponsored his show. Sadly, I don't recall the details precisely so I hesitate to say with any degree of certainty exactly whose connection it was, but the uncle of one of the organizers was a soldier on one of the first boats sent out of Pearl Harbour. The ship was attacked, the uncle was killed, and when his personal effects were returned to the family, they included his guitar.
James was asked to play Kiri's Piano on the very same guitar, and later the guitar was gifted to him. He seemed really rather proud of the fact that he now owned a guitar that had been at Pearl Harbour - and what a wonderful offering of appreciation for his musical work!
I, for one, adore the song in all its painful realism.
"House of Cards" is the title track on the new album and it speaks quite frankly to the current global economic state. I encourage you to take a listen to the album. It's available on iTunes at .99 per song or $10.00 for the album.
Me with James at the CD signing following the show
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