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James ignites Quesnel with love of music

Guitarist extraordinaire, Colin James, set some licks on the Seniors’ Centre in Quesnel that had the crowd singing and bee-bopping along.
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Colin James

Multi-Juno winner and guitarist extraordinaire, Colin James, set some licks on the Seniors’ Centre in Quesnel that had the sold-out crowd singing and bee-bopping along.

James, who just released his 12th CD, Rooftops and Satellites has sold more than his  fair share of discs and filled many a concert hall.  For many, these are the signposts of accomplishment, but for James, accomplishment is measured differently.

“To be better,” he said was the main motivation behind his music.

“To be more soulful every time I hit the stage.”

Accustomed to playing with his Little Big Band, James admitted the prospect of a solo show, accompanied by the very talented Chris Caddell, was terrifying.

In fact, when the idea was first put to him he didn’t want to do it, but he soon realized it was something he needed to do.

“It forced me out of my shell, I don’t like talking a lot,” he said.

“I think it’s good therapy for me, to learn how to talk with people more freely.”

Talk he did.

James seemed at ease as he shared stories about how some of his songs came to be and the colourful people he’s met along the way.

Another reason James embarked on the stripped-down tour was to help him get back to the roots of why he started playing music in the first place.

“Electric shows are great, I love them, but you can hide behind the ceremony of a big loud show,” he explained.

“In a quieter show like tonight, you really have to perform because you’re not hiding behind anything.”

Another motivation for James to play the smaller venues is the opportunity it provides parents to bring their children to the show, to be up close and exposed to the music he plays.

“That’s my favourite thing about all this, is to see young people in the front, experiencing music the way I did when I was eight years old,” he said with excitement.

In fact, that is how James, a product of the Prairies, got the musical bug.

His parents loved music and exposed James to different musical genres, often taking him to music festivals.

“They were really into music, they took me to folk festivals from the age of about eight years old.”

Those festivals exposed James to the likes of Johnny Shine, Elizabeth Cotton, Bill Munro, a wide range of artists that he says, “completely changed my life.”

James remembers fondly one show in particular.

“Seeing Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee in a small little place, going ‘Oh my God these are black people from the deep south playing blues and I’m sitting two feet from them’,” James recounted as if the memory were but a day old.

“It was like mind blowing.”

For Caddell, the opportunity to join James on tour is made all the more worthwhile precisely because of his vast musical knowledge.

“He knows everything about music, from bluegrass and Celtic through to roots and blues and heavy rock,” Caddell said.

Caddell, an exceptional musician in his own right, was pleased to join James on tour for a variety of other reasons.

“I get free guitar lessons from Colin James, not many people get to do that” he said with a laugh.

Also on Cadell’s list was the opportunity to improve his vocal abilities.

“He’s [James] amazing, he sings all day long and I never hear him hit a bad note,” Caddell said.

“It would be great to be half as good as him.”

Touring can have its hardships and the task of playing the same songs night in and night out can take the fun out of the experience, but Caddell said he is enjoying the ride.

“It’s a blast for me, it’s a good challenge.

“The shows are different every night and the songs can be different every night.”

Today with several years behind him as a musician, James remembers the outset of his career with a bittersweet fondness.

“Some of them are embarassing now,” he said with a smile and a shake of the head.

Of note, was a set of tape recordings of his concerts when he opened for George Thorogood at the tender age of 16.

“I kept a tape of it for years, it was awful,” he said.

“I’m glad it got lost, but I do wish I had kept it [the tape] for interest sake.”

There was nothing awful about Friday night’s show, everyone left with a smile, including Caddell and James.

“I get to play with one of my heros every night,” Caddell said.

“It’s just amazing to be able to do that all of your life and still be excited to play,” James said.

“It’s a fantastic thing.”