THE JAMES CONNOLLY SONGS OF FREEDOM BAND
Songs of Freedom
PM Press A-017-2
Until World War One, the labor
movement, Irish nationalism, and socialism knew no national boundaries and a
figure such as politician/rebel/songwriter James Connolly (1868-1916) was as
famous in North America as in Ireland or the British Isles. His death at the
hands of a British firing squad in the wake of the failed Easter Uprising was
mourned across the globe. A new recording and accompanying songbook takes us
inside of Connolly’s life, causes, and the protest songs he and others penned
and cherished. It’s more than a nostalgia piece, although it evokes the sort of
movement songs that dominated the pages of Sing
Out! during its early years. The project is the brainchild of Mat Callahan,
a San Francisco-based activist and musician who honed his teeth on political
rock. This album, for the most part, has a folksier feel. It features nine
songs written by Connolly, including “Human Freedom,” “When Labor Calls,” and
“Watchword of Labor,” which were known to North American members of the
Industrial Workers of the World. (Connolly joined the IWW when lived in
America.) The remaining four songs are three in Connolly’s honor, including
Irish poet Patrick Galvin’s moving “Where is James Connolly?” and Jim Connell’s internationally famous “The
Red Flag.” The last is one of the few tracks that doesn’t quite work, as it is
given an agit-rock treatment in which the music overwhelms the lyrics–the
latter being the point of social protest music. Aside from this slip, the 13
musicians of the Songs of Freedom Band evoke the community exuberance of comrades
singing in support of unions, socialism, and Irish freedom. Callahan’s edited edition
of the 1907 The James Connolly Songbook
is the sort of historical artifact that’s didactic, but which also makes you
think that modern movements could learn a few lessons by delving into it. In
Connolly’s spirit, both the CD and the book are borders-defying projects
assembled and funded in Ireland, Switzerland, and the United States. 
Rob Weir
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