B.C. blues rock legend Colin James caps memorable month with release of 21st album

It’s shaping up to be a good month for Colin James. 

The B.C. blues rock legend was named to the Order of British Columbia earlier this month, and on Saturday he’ll release his new album, Chasing the Sun — his 21st, and another chapter in a long and storied career.

Having grown up in Regina, the singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 1990s and has now played professionally for over four decades — including a show for Queen Elizabeth II in Saskatchewan almost 20 years ago. 

He has won eight Junos and 20 Maple Blues Awards, and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.

On his 60th birthday last Saturday, he played at the PNE as part of its Summer Nights Concert Series.

So, what’s the journey to album No. 21 been like? CBC’s On the Coast spoke with James to find out.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

You’ve been playing music for a long time. When did you really start?

We always had a guitar kicking around the house — although one of them was upside down and backwards because my brother was a lefty. I think I learned some pretty crazy habits at first, but I was playing by like nine to 10 years old. 

Around then, I took my first lessons, which really didn’t agree with me a lot. But I had a teacher who said, ‘Hey, what do you want to learn?’ When he realized that I wasn’t really going to be doing a whole lot of scales, he would just teach me songs.

Where I grew up in Regina, there was a really great community of musicians and I got mentored by a lot of them. We had this ridiculous band that had three harps, two banjos and four guitars, but we would do fiddle tunes and people would entertain me if I had questions or wanted to sit down and play. 

I started playing in bands when I was about 13 — bluegrass and fiddle tunes, stuff like that.

And then, as of Grade 10, I moved to Winnipeg and started playing in coffee shops.

Your first band was called the Hoodoo Men.

Yeah, that was the first little band that was my band. We got our first workshop at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1981. And then we started touring around the Prairies and at 16, I got an opening slot for John Lee Hooker — that was a big deal for me. Then, I opened three shows for George Thorogood. 

It’s funny when you look back because I even opened for Little River Band back then. I was pretty brave. I don’t even know if I’m that brave now. 

WATCH | Colin James performs his single Down On The Bottom: 

What about Stevie Ray Vaughan?

Yeah, that part of the story is a big part of my life.

I left Vancouver with my tail between my legs because the band I was playing in had another guitar player and he was older and more experienced than me. The record company was coming to hear the band and they hired him back just for that. 

They were going to get me back the following week and, obviously, it hurt my feelings, so I decided to go back home to Saskatchewan and lick my wounds and hang out in the Prairies for a couple of weeks before coming back to Vancouver.

And then I got a call to open up for Stevie Ray Vaughan. 

Next thing you know, I’m on stage with Stevie. We did two nights in a row, and it changed my life.

Then what happened?

I got signed to an American label and did two records there. Come 1993, blues rock was kind of waning and the Seattle sound was coming in. Things were getting a little heavier musically and we didn’t know what to do. 

And we thought, “Well when you don’t know what to do, do something completely different.”

The Little Big Band idea was born, and it did really well.

It didn’t do well at first, mind you. There was a lot of pushback and a lot of people thinking it was career suicide to put out that record [Colin James and the Little Big Band].

But after six or seven months, it started taking off when people realized it was a fun party record. It was maybe a bit kitsch with the pastel cover and the throwback to the 50s, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life.

I opened up with the Rolling Stones on three shows with that band. It’s an example of how life can take you places you just don’t expect.

You dabbled in other genres, too. So, were you reinventing yourself?

I think we all are. As you get older, your values change and what you look for in music changes.

I’ve just tried not to get stuck in a rut. All the decisions I’ve made in my life where I did something against the grain were always the best decisions, even if they didn’t seem like it at the time.

How was it to be recognized with the Order of B.C. for shaping Canadian music?

It was really awesome. The day that news came in, I was just heading out on my bike. I looked at my phone, and there was a message from the [lieutenant] governor of B.C. I was relieved — it was all good! 

What are your plans for the official ceremony in September?

Just to enjoy it. I’m going to go with my wife and my 90-year-old mom.

What about the PNE show on your 60th birthday?

I’ve been playing the PNE shows for quite a number of years. When my kids were younger, it was great because they got a few free ride tickets and they got to go backstage.

I know it’s my birthday. But what are you going to do? I’ll take the work. I love working. 

I’m in this odd place right now where I finished this record in January/February but just ended up shutting it away because I’ve worked on it so much. Next year we’ll be touring the country, so I’m excited.

It must be exciting to be finished with album No. 21 — tell us about Chasing the Sun.

I’ve worked with Colin Linden on five records over the years. I’ve known Colin since I was 13, and he was 16 years old, so we’re kind of like brothers.

For this album, he got Darrell Jones from the Rolling Stones on bass and Charlie Drayton from Keith Richards’ band on drums, and he has a studio behind his house in Nashville.

It was a real homey affair. My guitar station was at the end of the bed I was sleeping in, and Darrell Jones was right there playing bass.

And the fact that Lucinda Williams sang on a song with me was such a thrill. She’s such a great wordsmith. It really made my year.

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