NEWS

It has hardly felt like a summer with so much rain but the last week has been beautiful. I am getting ready to head out with my friends in PEI and do some tuna fishing again – I don’t think we will beat last years catch but will have a lot of fun trying.

We have had some changes to the band and regretfully Maury LaFoy has moved on. Maury had a great opportunity presented to him that will have him touring with Terra Lightfoot across North America and then to Japan and Australia. I know he will do an amazing job for Terra and we wish him all the best in his new adventure.

Our newest member joining Jason Fowler, Mark Lalama and myself is Charles James. I am looking forward to sharing the stage and touring with this multi-talented musician.

Our tour schedule for the fall is now in place and I hope you can join us for a few shows over the next couple of months.

The Book

We will be doing a final proof of the manuscript in the next 2 weeks and then its done. It has been great fun retracing my steps over the last 25 years. Lots of ups and downs but a great deal of fun – I hope you enjoy the read.

New CD

I have just completed my newest project Some Other Time a collection of soft Jazz standards. I chose all the vocal tracks – some of my all time favourites and I know you will recognize them: Put your Dreams Away, Autumn Leaves, The Shadow of Your Smile to name just a few. I recorded the CD with some of Canada’s finest from the Jazz world: Guido Basso, Dave Young, Robi Botos, Davide Direnzo and Reg Schwager.

We had a blast doing it and it is now available for pre-order with delivery in the first half of September.

Check the tour schedule for details on the upcoming CD release with the original band at Jazz Bistro in Toronto, October 4th 8:00pm.

The New Double DVD Release

The double DVD will be available on my site on November 15th! I am really happy with the final results – the package will contain a news feature done in early 1993,  produced by CBC reporter Paul McGrath. It was introduced on air by CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge to close the evening edition of Prime Time, the evening CBC national television news broadcast when I first came on the scene. This news item was the launching pad for my career – shortly after its broadcast, the Danny Boy CD began its climb.

DVD 1
The first item on the disc is a 1995 television special entitled The Voyage. It was a show about my family and my career to date and it took us back to my days in high school and introduces those who were a part of my life. It was shot a few months after the passing of my father, so when I watched it again for the first time in almost 20 years it brought back so many memories for me. A visit to my old school, St Michael’s Choir school also brought back a flood of fond memories. How fortunate and blessed I was at the time (and still am today) to have so many wonderful musicians and supporting friends around me. Who knew what was to come?

The second item on this disc is A Time to Remember, which we shot  in the summer of 2001 for PBS and was never aired – and is still one of the best things I have ever done. It was filmed on the Atlantic coast and has some of the most inspiring and beautiful scenery you can imagine. It features my long time friends and some of the finest musicians I have known in a full orchestral production. I visit my Scottish and Irish roots in the songs and pay tribute to our Veterans. Both beautifully recorded and produced, I know that this production will be something that I will always look back on as a triumph.

DVD 2
The second DVD is the video half to the package Sharing Christmas John McDermott and Friends. This DVD has some wonderful stories and reflections from many of my friends and musicians from over the years: The Mistletones, the great comedian Colin Mochrie (who will have you laughing to tears), performances by Giorgia Fumanti and Allison Girvan that will leave you touched and inspired, and of course the remarkable Canadian Flamenco/latin guitarist Pavlo.

It’s been a long time – now we have confirmed a date for a Christmas show!

John McDermott and Friends Family Christmas
Festival Hall Centre for the Arts
401 Isabella Street
Pembroke, Ontario
Ottawa Valley’s Biggest Theatre !

Call 613 735-2182 or visit www.festhall.ca for tickets

Originally a limited release item for fans during my last tour, this album proved so popular we decided to make it available to everyone.

Featuring: You Raise Me Up • Shelter Me • Flow Gently Sweet Afton • The Mansions of the Lord • Mary of Argyle • The Loch Tay Boat Song • Song for a Winter’s Night • Along the Merry Road to Hell • By Yon Bonnie Banks (Loch Lomond) • Danny Boy • From the Forest • Journeys • That Old Feeling • Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon • The Gift of Years • The Old Man • Voyage • The Dutchman • The Green Fields of France

Order Today

I drove in to LA from Mesa, AZ before the start of the Snowbird winter meetings and had a great visit with my friends Academy award-winning screenwriter Robert Towne and Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam. I thought my schedule was busy – these guys have me beat…hands down. It was fun to spend time with them.