Johnny Duhan - a life of songs and stories
When an artist has a body of work that stretches over half a century, coming up with his Finest Collection can be a job in itself – but Johnny Duhan’s latest album can truly be described as his definitive voice.
The Irishman’s Finest Collection will also form the backdrop to his Galway show next week, when he takes to the stage in the intimate surrounds of the Town Hall Studio, next Thursday, May 3, for one night only.
Johnny Duhan has been making music since the sixties, when he was a mere teenager and the frontman of Granny’s Intentions – and he is instantly recognised through his classics like the Voyage and Don’t Give Up Till It’s Over.
But it is through the intensely personal lyrics of songs like Your Sure Hand, To the Light, In Our Father’s Name and the River Returning that you discover the real heart and soul of a man who draws his inspiration from the world around him.
The Irishman’s Finest Collection features 17 songs, drawn from a host of his previous albums and featuring a stellar cast of musicians from Davy Spillane and Mairtin O’Connor to Tony Maher, James Blennerhasset, Carl Hession and the late Eugene Kelly.
By his own admission, Johnny – born in Limerick but long domiciled in Barna – has always ploughed his own furrow.
“I’ve never followed trends or fashions since I started out as a folkie,” he says.
Instead, he draws on personal experience – growing up in Limerick, the world of nature, his spirituality; his observations on the bigger questions – to craft a body of work that truly stands the test of time.
Promoter and novelist Paul Charles – head of Asgard Promotions – is one music business veteran who recognises Johnny’s talent, and particularly his new Finest Collection.
“A work of real beauty. Sympathetic arrangements, perfect instrumentation, and all topped off with a perfect, story-telling, soulful voice,” he says.
“The songs, as a set of classic short stories, seem as though written for this collection even though they span John’s career....I really love the album,” he adds.
And those stories that he refers to cover everything from Song of the Bird – a childhood memory of a wounded bird nursed back to flight – to the River Returning, his ode to the Shannon that has been such a touchstone all his life.
And because he is a storyteller – in song and in between songs – the intimate surrounds of his Town Hall Studio gig next Thursday will allow those tales to pour forth.
It starts around 8.15pm and tickets are on sale on the night or in advance from www.tht.ie