Jimmy Rankin 

Forget About the World tour, with guest artist Kylee Epp

Summit Theatre, Cascades Casino

Tuesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. 

(Doors open at 7 p.m.)

Tickets $25 at www.ticketweb.ca 

or Casino Guest Services

Call 604-530-2211.

Jimmy Rankin is taking a quick break from the road at a service station on a stretch of highway south of Fort McMurray, Alta.              

Stepping out of the truck to find a quiet place to talk, Rankin explains there is no bus on this tour, no giant amps and, even if there were,  no crew of roadies to haul them in and out of arenas. 

No, this time, the singer-songwriter is making his way across Canada, accompanied only by his guitarist and one techie, as he performs in small, intimate venues along the way.

On Tuesday, he鈥檒l be in 91原创 to play the Summit Lounge inside Cascades Casino.

鈥淚 love (small theatres) because you鈥檙e very close with your audience,鈥� says the musician who rose to fame as one of the five siblings who made up Cape Breton鈥檚 famous Rankin Family.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not trying to reach the back of an arena with a guitar 鈥� although I鈥檝e done that too, and it鈥檚 fine.鈥�

He鈥檒l be playing quite a bit from Forget About the World, his first solo album in four years, but Rankin likes to keep his set list open in the second half of the show and take a few audience requests.

If he can remember them, he鈥檒l play them, he said.

It鈥檚 flattering, he said, to know that people remember and still enjoy his older pieces.

The show itself, is 鈥渁 bit of a roller coaster,鈥� said Rankin.

Despite the fact there are only two of them on stage, it occasionally turns into a rock and roll show.

鈥淲e can get loud,鈥� he laughed.

Although Rank said it鈥檚 been 鈥渢oo long鈥� between solo albums, the musician spent the four years in between touring with his sisters and 鈥渃onstantly collecting ideas and writing.鈥�

His last album was a rootsy, bluesy effort, Rankin said. 

鈥淔or this record, I wanted to build on the last one 鈥� make it more radio friendly.鈥�

While some of the songs are more produced, 鈥渙thers are just me and an acoustic guitar.鈥�

But the nucleus of the album, he said, is a single called Here in My Heart.

And, it has the added cachet of featuring a guitar solo by none other than country music star Keith Urban.

Sometimes, getting something you want is as simple as asking for it.

鈥淚 met Keith about 10 years ago at the CCNAs and we ended up jamming together,鈥� said Rankin, describing Urban as 鈥渏ust a gentleman.鈥�

After that, he said, the two artists would 鈥渂ump into each other, from time to time.鈥�

鈥淲e needed a guitar solo for that song, so I got in touch and he very graciously came into the studio in Nashville and played this amazing solo.鈥�

And then, for Walk that Way, Rankin was joined by another well known artist, Ontario singer-songwriter Serena Ryder 鈥� best known for her singles Little Bit of Red and Weak in the Knees. 

鈥淚 wanted to do a duet 鈥� I hadn鈥檛 done one in 20 years, since Fair Thee Well with (his sister) Cookie,鈥� Rankin explained.

Ryder鈥檚 soulful voice was a natural choice, he added.

鈥淚鈥檇 only met her once (before) in a bar,鈥� he said.

鈥淔ortunately she agreed, and she鈥檚 an amazing singer. Our voices worked well together.鈥�

Once the music is made, there鈥檚 the matter of getting the word out about it.

Rankin did his best to avoid Twitter but finally gave in about four or five months ago.

鈥淚 rejected it for so long,鈥� he said. 

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a great way to connect with fans.鈥�

In a day when the airwaves and Internet are chock full of music, it鈥檚 every artist鈥檚 challenge to connect with and keep fans, he said.

So he tweets. 

And he鈥檚 got profiles on Facebook and MySpace.

鈥淚 lead a pretty interesting life. I鈥檓 on the road a lot,鈥� he said of what he chooses to share with followers.

If something catches his eye, he鈥檒l snap a pic and tweet it out. And before his new album came out last month he tweeted out little bites ahead of time.

And the artist is happy to get responses, too.

鈥淚鈥檓 finding out people are really interested,鈥� he said.