Search - Andrew Calhoun :: Hope

Andrew Calhoun's well-honed songwriting talents take an audience from laughter to tears and many places in between. In concert he weaves a tapestry of original music written over thirty years, Scottish ballads he has translated from dialect, spoken word, and songs by other writers. Calhoun got his first guitar in 1967 at the age of 10 and began performing in the Chicago folk scene in the late seventies. He has since toured internationally, performing at folk clubs and festivals, pubs and house concerts. He gives workshops in creative songwriting, Scottish folk ballads, and music theory for guitarists. His recordings have been released on Hogeye, Flying Fish and Waterbug. Calhoun's music is a great companion for anyone who has ventured off the well-paved road to forge their own path in life. Hope was produced by Calhoun, Kat Eggleston and Steve Rashid. Chicago Irish box great John Williams plays concertina on "Getaway" and "Glad Old Man"; Eggleston sings harmony on "Getaway," "Long Legged Lover" and plays guitar on the duet "If". "Balls", an over-the-top anthem for the men's movement, is sung here with a 5-voice choir called "The Testostertones." "Survivor" deals with recovering from a tortured childhood, and "Veteran" with the Vietnam war's price on a young American's life.