Queen City Sounds Podcast S2E2: Colin James

Colin James, photo by James O’Mara

Colin James is a Canadian blues and rock guitarist/vocalist who got his big break into a national and international music world when his band was tapped to open last minute for Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1984 when another opening act was no longer available. Since then James has expanded upon his electric and acoustic blues style and was an early adopter of swing in the early 90s when straight ahead blues wasn’t as much in favor for a number of years and his Colin James and the Little Big Band project enjoyed some success when the swing revival was under way throughout the 90s. But in the 2000s and 2010s it seemed as though blues enjoyed a bit of a renaissance including the popular Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and numerous blues festivals that have come about since the turn of the century. James’ most recent album, 2021’s Open Road, is a collection of interpretation of blues classics and original material that showcases the musician’s masterful command of the musical idiom and ability to innovate within it.

Colin James performs at Soiled Dove Underground on Saturday, September 17, 2002 at 7 pm. Listen to our interview with James on Bandcamp and for more information on the singer-songwriter please visit colinjames.com.

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Author: simianthinker

Editor, primary content provider for this blog. Former contributor to Westword and The Onion.