At Al's Bar, 31/1/09 Reviewed by Gill Coe
From the very first bars, you knew you were
in for something special. The big Canadian with his beautiful
baritone voice, paired with the sexy, bejewelled, Chilean with
flying fingers and a delightful patter, wowed the 50 or so people
at Al’s Bar at the end of January.
I first saw James Keelahan when he played at the Harbourlight
many years ago and touched us with his story songs and obvious
love of history and music. He’s a more than adequate
guitarist and another example of Canada’s fine
singer-songwriters. What is it about that country that produces
such excellent talent? Joni Mitchell, Stan Rogers, Gordon
Lightfoot and the list goes on.
Couple him with Oscar Lopez (O Lo - J Lo’s better looking
cousin – yeah, right!) as “Compardres” and you
had a night to remember. Oscar’s skill on the guitar was a
feast for the ears and the eyes. His accompaniment to
James’s singing was restrained when it needed to be and the
next minute full of the wonderful Latin guitar flourishes that
you suspect makes the guitarists in the audience go home and
consider chopping their fingers off. Not a bad voice either. His
wicked grin and wonderful facial expressions won the hearts of
the crowd (as did his gorgeous baby – 5 month old Niko who
happily endured “Pass the Baby” and was in danger of
being kidnapped by the President’s husband!).
At the break, when I commented to Oscar that he was so
comfortable with his guitar that it seemed like another limb, he
replied that “the guitar is an extension of my soul”
(which somehow sounds more passionate when said with a strong
South American accent). He then went on to say that he started
playing, at church, when he was 10. He now lives in Calgary and
the influences of both cultures have moulded an extraordinary
performer.
The mix of ballads and fast numbers was skilfully done, with
delightfully quirky numbers such as “Bump Me Up to First
Class” and “Why Don’t You Just Grow Up?”
interspersed with slower pieces like the sad Spanish
“Lamentos”. As it did the first time I heard it,
James’s “Cold Missouri River” based on the true
story of the smoke jumper fireman in the 1940s who survives a
fire through sheer intuition and bravery, is then pilloried by
his colleages and dies young of cancer, reduced me to tears.
Thank you Compardres for a passionate evening of wonderful music.
Thanks to the Folk club for booking these great artists (and for
the free Saturday night Celtic Fusion concert)). Thanks to Al for
taking a punt with the Folk Club and to his staff for looking
after us well. They’re quick learners – the noise
level behind the bar was significantly reduced on Wednesday night
which was much appreciated by the audience.