Product Description
COLIN JAMES
Chasing The Sun
Stony Plain Records
Colin James intertwines his guitar with Colin Linden’s backed by Darryl Jones’ bass and Charley Drayton’s strong drumbeat as James sings the opening song, “Protection” with lines like, “I need protection from the enemy of love.” Lucinda Williams takes up the lyrics shortly thereafter and the vocals begin weaving just like the guitars. Your ears say, “I want more!” as James’ guitar energizes the song further. Both Colins produced and arranged the music with Linden also doing a masterful job of mixing it.
James started his blues journey in his ‘20s and has said, “Maybe people don’t buy into a blues guy in their ‘20s. When you’re knocking at the door at age 60, people are like ‘Oh yeah, come on in.’’’
Well, Colin, listeners are holding that door wide open for the octogenarian Charlie Musselwhite who adds his harp to “Devilment” and “Come To Find Out.” The latter tune has Musselwhite’s harp fitting tongue in groove with Linden’s deft acoustic guitar and James’ electric guitar. One great tune, “Open Your Mind,” has James’ guitar seeping in with otherworldly tones enhanced with several background voices and Linden’s Dobro while he ends with a reverb/delay vocal of “Open your mind with a love you can find.”
James gears down a bit with the lovely “Crystal Ball” as his vocals are emotive with caressing guitar fills after each line. The addition of smooth organ and dancing guitar frames the soothing “How It Feels To Be Loved.” Perhaps springing on Woody Guthrie’s guitar scrawl, “This guitar kills fascists,” James pens a tune, “This Song Kills Hate.”
These 11 songs flow nicely and you’ll find, just as one tune ends, you’re already anticipating his next slice of the musical muse and realize, when the music is almost finished, that you’d like to hear more from Colin James.
Chasing The Sunis James’ 18th studio CD and his native country, Canada, has taken notice and awarded him eight JUNOs and 30 Maple Blues Awards to date. The vibe, feel, and atmosphere of the recording is most enjoyable with James’ listenable vocals with perfect diction and possessing just the right amount of emotion. Let’s hope, when he’s an octogenarian like Charlie, some younger blues phenom will have him guest on their recording. They’d be foolish not to consider it!
– Pete Sardon