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"The influences never stop." That's Canadian singer songwriter James Keelaghan talking. Could be the slogan for folk music.
But James is answering a question about his own musical background. Who influenced him? How did someone who "didn't come from a musical family per se" become a leading international musical figure? First, he says, the family loved music and offered appreciation and support. Then there is that influence factor: "My father was a great influence as a story teller, my mother for a sense of humour. I listened to a lot of Irish traditional stuff when I grew up, tempered with Jethro Tull, Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell and Captain Beefheart."
"Liam Clancy for voice and guitar style, the poetry of Yeats. I loved Harry Belafonte - the world's greatest stage performer; and Pete Seeger - a fine balladeer. But influences never stop. I am influenced by David Francey, Oliver Schroer, Hugh McMillan and a host of others now.
Don't forget to throw in the history influence. Keelaghan studied history at the University of Calgary and his passion for it has inspired some of his most celebrated songs.
His debut album, Timelines (1987 Tranquilla Music) was a collection of historically themed ballads. On his ninth album, A Few Simple Verses (2006 Jericho Beach Music), he's coming at history the way a folk singer would, unabashedly paying tribute to songs he loves, many of which his father used to sing, many of which have no definite origin, all of which are part of living history.
Of course, every album features James' baritone, a voice that soothes, seduces, and packs a punch. It is an influential voice, in an oral tradition where performance is arguably where it all happens.
"I love touching people as a performer," he says. "Putting a song across so that people get inside the story. I love the immediacy of it, the feedback.I love audiences in Denmark and Australia. Totally unrestrained and ready to let you know what they think in the most emphatic terms. I love touring in England and Australia. England for the ancientness of it, Australia for the newness of it."
Obviously, Keelaghan is not having any trouble 'breaking' out of Canada, He has a devoted following around the world, with star turns at such venues as Denmark's Tonder Festival, the Hong Kong Festival and Australia's Port Fairy Folk Festival.
And you just know that with every trip across the water, those influences are percolating. He's one of Canada's greatest songwriters, and he's written songs recorded by the likes of Cry,Cry,Cry. But he can sing too, you know. Like, really sing. In a resonant baritone voice that has been called everything from sweet and smooth, to coffee-rich, to glorious.
"Keelaghan's voice is so easy to listen to that the thorns in his lyrics can catch the listeners unawares," comments Dirty Linen. "I am not just a pen," James points out wryly. "I am a voice as well."
Voice and the love of song is what it's about on Keelaghan's latest CD A Few Simple Verses. On this album, James sings other people's songs, longtime favourites of his. "Some I learned when I was very young, songs my dad would sing," he says. "Some are songs that have been important in my musical development, some I chose for emotional reasons. All of them are lyrically superior, melodically appealing."
"And they tell good stories," he adds. It's all part of the Keelaghan's tradition, the vital world of rumour, love, document, and adventure that is folk music.
Who wrote the songs? It's folk, remember, "Most of them we don't know," says James. When he does know, it is part of the story of the song. "'Harvest Train' was written by the great great great grand uncle of Joan MacIsaac, who I learned the song from. 'Farewell to the Gold, written by Paul Metsers in 1969, is a song that wandered the world relentlessly, though its author has stayed fairly well put. 'Sweet Thames' was written by Ewan MacColl , one of the monster folk writers of the 20th century. 'My Blood' was written By Jez Lowe and me, about growing up with Irish roots."
Jez Lowe is one in a long list of musicians who play with Keelaghan on Verses. For Keelaghan, the diversity of musicians he recorded with is one of the most exciting things about the album: the Irish band Danu; James Fagan and Nancy Kerr (BBC 2's folk artists of the year 2003); Jordan McConnell from The Duhks; Stephen Fearing; Ruth Moody from the Wailin' Jennys; Geoff Kelley from Spirit of the West.
Don't try to picture this group gathered around a mic on a front porch somewhere. It's the 21st century in a living tradition, and Keelaghan is not afraid of change. "To record a traditional Irish tune with a couple in Australia and do it basically by broad band is cool," he says "Though maybe a bit non-traditional."
With these songs, and that voice, we don't need to worry about the tradition. It is in good hands.
