It’s a big week for one of Saskatchewan’s favourite sons, as Colin James releases his first ever live album, Twenty Five Live, and is inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.
Twenty Five Live, on the street March 19, follows less than a year after James’s last studio album, Fifteen. It appears to be the year of the numbered titles for the blues-rock guitarist, songwriter and bandleader.
The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver was the chosen venue for this foray into live recording. When your career has gone from unknown to the top of the heap, you’ve likely played virtually every size and shape of music venue in the country. But as performing goes, James has a special place in his heart for the Commodore. The joint that once would not allow the underage music fan through the door deserves that nook in James’s heart, if only for the memory of seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan metaphorically hover above its stage.
James was gushing about the Commodore when he spoke to Saturday Night Blues host Holger Petersen during a tour stop in Edmonton in November 2012, and with good reason. The Commodore is at the core of a growing number of great rock ’n’ roll memories for James.
AUDIOListen to this interview clip with James as he talks about his personal history with the Commodore — there is no substitute for the enthusiasm in his voice.
As James noted, there are not many acts that have sold out five nights in a row at the famed Vancouver establishment, which holds just shy of 1,000 people.
As if the first ever live album is not enough to keep him busy, James will also be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame on March 21, during Canadian Music Week. The Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, which recognizes the contributions of musicians, music producers and people in the industry, is different from the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, which focuses on musicians alone.
In addition to the six Juno Awards and millions of albums sold, James has been at the forefront for not one but two notable shifts in Canadian music.
His self-titled debut, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, was one of the pivotal blues releases in 1988, along with Jeff Healey’s See the Light. Together, James and Healey injected a solid blues base into the pop and rock music of the day. The blues-infused sound would continue to propel the careers of both artists for the decades that followed.
Not five years after his debut disc, in 1993, James made a dramatic turn toward swing music with the release of Colin James and the Little Big Band. It was only his third release, yet James showed remarkable personal and career confidence. Unquestionable success of his chameleon-like talent has given him a marketable career spanning pop, rock, blues and jazz.
James will show just how much he loves to play live with a rare concert at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on March 20.
Related:
Colin James Band in concert for the Saturday Night Blues 25th anniversary
Uncut video interview: Colin James on songwriting with Canadian greats, and more
Colin James, Colin Linden, Big Dave McLean name their fave Canadian guitar players