Although he lost his life at just 33 in a tragic fire aboard an Air Canada flight in 1983, folk legend Stan Rogers remains a storytelling giant who looms large in the hearts and minds of many — including his son, acclaimed singer/songwriter Nathan Rogers.
Nathan, 32, was only three when his dad died, but he got to know his father through his music.
"The first songs I learned to play on guitar were Stan’s songs," he says over the phone from a solo tour stop in Prince George, B.C.
As he embarked on a music career of his own, Nathan began getting the odd request for Stan’s songs. "It’s not something I’m afraid of," he says. "A lot of the time I play Northwest Passage."
Now the Hamilton-born, Winnipeg-based musician is delving deep into the Stan Rogers catalogue for his current one-off tribute tour, Nathan Sings Stan: The Rogers Legacy Continues.
"It seemed like a good idea that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility — and it seemed like the right time," Nathan says of the tour. "I wanted to make sure that if it happened once, that it would be for the right reasons. I’m at a point where I’m happy with my career and I’m proud of what I’ve got under my belt so far. I wanted this tour to be something special."
Nathan has never been one to rest on his famous last name and the weight it carries in the Canadian folk scene, although it’s almost impossible to read a review about Nathan’s music that doesn’t also mention Stan’s.
Musical pedigree aside, Nathan is a tremendously gifted lyricist and vocalist in his own right, with two full-length albums — 2004’s True Stories and 2009’s The Gauntlet — and several well-received European tours to his credit. (He also recently started a new project called Dry Bones with fellow Winnipeg musicians J.D. Edwards and Leonard Podolak of The Duhks.)
After carving out a career for himself, Nathan says he feels more comfortable being "Stan’s son."
"To a degree I wanted to create some distance early on, but I never felt challenged to do my own work," he says. "And I’ve always been proud of Stan’s music and my voice suits it. It’s pretty organic."
Indeed, the rich baritone Nathan inherited from his father will perfectly serve such Stan Rogers classics as Northwest Passage, Barrett’s Privateers and The Mary Ellen Carter, just some of songs Nathan will treat audiences to on the tour.
"If you’re going to play my dad’s music, there are four or five songs you’re obligated to do," he says with a laugh. "But there’s also stuff I like to do that’s a bit more obscure, some of the more political stuff that doesn’t get as much love."
This tour is also a chance for Nathan to put his own stamp on these much-loved songs, although he says he wants to "show them the appropriate amount of respect for how they were written in the first place. It’s a balancing act."
Nathan is well-aware that the show at the West End Cultural Centre will be an emotional — and, in many cases, surreal — one for many folks in the audience.
"People have a very visceral, very personal reaction to Stan’s music that I’ve always been amazed by," he says. "With me doing it, there’s an added component to that. It’s a very special thing.
"I’m just delighted to play these songs at the West End," he adds. "This may be the only time this goes down — just sayin’ — and I’m happy it’ll be in that room."
NATHAN SINGS STAN: THE ROGERS LEGACY CONTINUES
Feb. 18, 8 p.m.
West End Cultural Centre
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