Jimmy Rankin
Tinsel Town Tour
November 21, 2013
ABOUT THE SHOW
The holidays are a time for friends and family; for snow-filled days and warm nights gathered ‘round the fireplace. But however you’re celebrating this special season, iconic Canadian entertainer Jimmy Rankin has provided the perfect soundtrack, Tinsel Town.
Recorded with producer Bill Bell (Jason Mraz, Tom Cochrane), Tinsel Town is a Christmas collection featuring four freshly penned original songs and eight newly recorded holiday classics full of fun and yuletide cheer. Particularly clever is the packaging, which doubles as a Christmas card, making it easy to ship as the perfect holiday greeting for all.
A well-known solo artist, Rankin also doubles as the front man of Canadian Celtic heroes, The Rankin Family. Between the two roles, the singer-songwriter has amassed a slew of awards and nominations including 5 JUNO Awards, 27 East Coast Music Awards, and, having recently been named 2012’s Roots Artist of the Year for the second consecutive year, a total of 7 Canadian Country Music Awards, to name a few.
Yet despite the endless accolades, Rankin admits he was challenged when writing for Tinsel Town. “Christmas has become so commercialized. For the originals I went to a different place – I wanted to re-discover the unfettered beauty and old-fashioned joy that I found in Christmas as a kid.”
With Rankin’s warm, inviting words, “Tinsel Town,” the stunning lead single and title track, celebrates the spirit of Christmas through a montage of idyllic, postcard-like imagery. On the gorgeous ballad “December,” his singular voice welcomes the onset of winter with the sense of inner peace found walking down a snowy backcountry road.
“Boogie Woogie Christmas” is as much fun as the name implies, conjuring images of a hometown holiday party – good cheer, frosty fun and all – while “Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye to Christmas” wishes that Christmas would never end with a modern country rock flair.
As for the well-known numbers that round out the recording, Rankin explains: “I was looking for songs that mean something to me, songs I remember from my childhood growing up.” He fondly recalls performing “Silver Bells” with his sisters during the holidays at their Cape Breton home and the way “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” always put spring in his step.
“The challenge was to take these great songs and to interpret them in a new and interesting way,” he continues. Whether it’s his rockabilly take on “Jingle Bell Rock,” his stunning, stripped-down version of “White Christmas,” or his cover of John Denver’s classic “Christmas for Cowboys,” Rankin does indeed render his special magic to these cherished standards.
In late November, Rankin will embark on a cross-Canada tour sharing seasonal selections from Tinsel Town along with favourites from his extensive solo and Rankin Family catalogue. He is also slated to perform on the CBC/CMT Christmas special to air nationally on December 20th.
Whether they’re delivered from the stage or stereo this winter, Jimmy Rankin’s Tinsel Town songs are sure to bring joy and warm nostalgia to audiences young and old during “the most wonderful time of the year.