In The Shadow of the Black Love: Recording & Touring Jimmy Little’s Messenger

Hear producer/artist Brendan Gallagher’s story of collaborating with Jimmy Little on the creation of ARIA winning Gold album Messenger with very special guest, Jimmy Little’s grandson, James Henry. “Our first Aboriginal pop star, the glue between black and white Australia.” Troy Cassar-Daley

Join us for a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Yorta Yorta and Yuin man, Jimmy Little's Messenger. The album is a collection of modern Australian classics by the likes of Nick Cave, Paul Kelly, The Church, Sunnyboys and more. Jimmy Little’s interpretations are elegant, respectful and now legendary. Little not only gets to the heart of these songs, but also gives them a sense of gravitas that helps make them uniquely his own.

Brendan Gallagher will unfold the story of how this album came to be, alongside special guest James Henry, Jimmy Little’s grandson. This exclusive evening will include Brendan’s stories of his time with Jimmy Little, shining a light on the recording process and touring of this legendary album with rare photos, film clips, audio, and of course a song or two (or three) performed live.

It was the mid-1990s when Brendan Gallagher rediscovered the beauty and artistry of Jimmy Little’s voice at a small, long-since-shuttered Sydney inner-city venue called The Lyric. For the next couple of years, and in between touring and recording with his own band Karma County, Brendan imagined how this member of Australia’s country music royalty could breathe new life into contemporary Australian songs.

Jimmy Little is now recognised as one of Australia’s leading artists. Little’s songs topped the charts throughout the 1960s, and his extraordinary talent and big heart saw Little become a household name and national treasure leading him to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, being awarded NAIDOC Person of the Year, as well as appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.