Twenty five long years of commercial success and his fans love him just the same. Six Junos. Seventeen Maple Blues Awards. A recent induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. He’s a first-rate guitarist in the blues-rock tradition.
Twenty five long years of commercial success and his fans love him just the same.
Six Junos. Seventeen Maple Blues Awards. A recent induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. He’s a first-rate guitarist in the blues-rock tradition. A swing man with a soulful chop.
He goes by the household name of Colin James. And, touting his newest and 16th full-length album, he will be performing at the Trade Show on May 11 as part of the 2013 Cochrane Guitar Show, put on by Legacy Guitar and Coffee House.
James will be arriving at Legacy for a stripped-down acoustic performance, accompanied by Chris Caddell on guitar and harmonies.
His March release of Twenty Five Live showcases his first live album, recorded last fall at the iconic Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver - sort of his homage to a career spent in the trenches, playing live and churning out records.
Labeled Canada’s ‘quiet superstar’, James’ roots date back to Willie Dixon covers in the early eighties. The Regina kid-turned Vancouverite gained early recognition as a hot-shot guitar player, opening up for blues legends such as John Lee Hooker by the age of 16 with his first band, The Hoodoo Man, and taking to the stage as something of a prodigy of the late Stevie Ray Vaughn not long afterwards.
“I had already moved to Van before I met Stevie, ” said James, recanting the tale of how he had been in a funk over losing a gig, only to be called in at the last minute to fly to Saskatoon to open up for Vaughn - forced to pull in his rhythm section from the Saskatoon Jazz Society. “…Me and Stevie kind of hit a fast friendship. ”
This early 80s momentum continued to build, culminating with the release of James’ 1988 self-titled debut album, earning him several international hit singles, including “Five Long Years ” and “Voodoo Thing ”, followed by the success of his 1990 sophomore album, Sudden Stop, which included tracks such as “Just Came Back ” and “Keep On Loving Me Baby ” (written by Otis Rush).
Rocking his way into the 90s, James was a frontrunner in the mid-nineties swing music revival with his Little Big Band project - releasing albums and touring with the full band to this day.
The late 90s was a quieter time for James, time best spent raising his two young children, Deghan and Ryland, and responding to the popularity lull for blues and blues-rock.
“At some point, you stop and go ‘well, I guess I’m kind of a blues player’…There are times when you have to try to keep yourself buoyant and active. You just don’t give up, ” said the Little Big Band front man and producer.
“Philosophically, I’m not one who likes a lot of histrionics. I like economy and I like soulfulness, ” he reveals about his performance style.
Since the 21st Century formally hit, fans have seen James once again pick up where the nineties left him off - making albums on his own, as well as with the Little Big Band.
His 2005 album, Limelight, reached gold sales in Canada; his version of the Van Morrison hit “Into The Mystic ” on the album would add to James’ list of successful takes on cover songs.
“That was a song where I didn’t know if I should do it…early Van hits a place that was integral to my childhood. I really had to think twice to do it. It was the last thing we did on Limelight …the record was supposed to be done. ”
“Something happened in that take that escalated that song…everyone felt it in the room. ”
Covering songs is just a matter of tradition for any blues player. But writing? Despite having a successful career of original music, it’s not what the Fender player considers his strongest suit.
“Everyone has their strengths, ” he explained. “I never aspired to be a lyricist - it was not in my wheel house, but it was something I had to do….it doesn’t come naturally to me like it does to others. ”
Others that James might consider songwriting comes to naturally include close friends Craig Northey (front man of the 90 rock band, the Odds), Colin Linden (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings bluesman and Grammy-winning producer) and Tom Wilson (also of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and former front man of Junkhouse) - all of whom James has collaborated with.
“I don’t think there’s anyone I write with more than Tom, ” James said fondly of his “Freedom ” co-writer. “There’s something about the combo that works. He’s got a great hand at darker lyrics…I’ve done a lot of that blind date stuff with writing and I don’t dig it. ”
Next in line will be a more soulful, acoustic album - inspired by his duo tour de force with Chris Caddell. Tickets to Colin James and the 2013 Cochrane Guitar Show are available at legacyguitarhouse.com or by phoning 403-981-1808. Award-winning fingerstyle guitarist, Don Ross, will be performing May 10 at the Guitar Show.
