When he was just 15 years old and still in high school in Belleville, Chris Caddell took to the gym stage and rocked out his own version of Colin James’ song National Steel.
James knows this, he says, because Caddell pulled out an old yearbook to show him a photograph taken the day it happened.
“And you know what’s great about that is when you can see something you’ve done set somebody on a path.”
In Caddell’s case, that journey led him to eventually become part of James’ band — as well as fronting his own, The Wreckage. In coming weeks, he will hit the road with James for an acoustic tour, with just the two of them on stage.
“It’s nice for me, when I finish a project, to do that,” James said of the tour that will land in Kamloops on April 26 at Sagebrush Theatre.
“And there are fewer rules when there’s only two guys you have to run things by instead of a big group. And it’s easier to change things up,” James said.
“It’s really great because, sometimes, I’ll switch things up and he knows right away. Although it can be hard when you’re dealing with tunings. I’ll start something sometimes and he’ll look at me and go, ‘Really?’”
James isn’t an easy musician to pin down.
When he was still in Grade 9, he was opening for DOA.
By the age of 18, he was touring with blues great Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Striking out on his own, he added a swing stage to his career with his Little Big Band, something he had never touched on before and people may not have known he was interested in.
“You want to have a chance like that,” he said.
Then it was back to the blues and rock, all the while racking up Juno awards — Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year in 1989, Single of the Year (Just Came Back) and Male Vocalist of the Year just two years later, another Male Vocalist Award in 1996, along with Best Blues Album (National Steel) and Best Producer for two tracks on Colin James and The Little Big Band.
Add in another 19 Maple Blues Awards in a 14-year period from 1997 to 2011 and James’ resume is one impressive piece of work.
“But, there are still things I haven’t done,” he said. “Like rockabilly.”
James credits his family for his love of music, noting it was always being played in his Regina home.
His parents would take him to blues, jazz and bluegrass festivals and watched as their son left school after Grade 10 and moved to Winnipeg to get whatever gigs he could, busk on the street and follow his passion.
James also credits Colin Linden for his musical success, describing the singer-songwriter-musician-producer as the closest thing he has to a brother “except for my own brothers.”
The two Colins have worked together on four of James’ albums (National Steel, Limelight, Little Big Band 3 and Little Big Band Christmas) and have toured together.
James said touring is still a joy, although this one will be broken up by some weeks at home as he makes his way across the country.
“It allows you to do some great things in life. And, sometimes, I’ll be home and, after a few weeks, well, I gotta go do what I do. It becomes part of your DNA.”
James expressed surprise when asked why he includes Pink on his list of singers he likes to listen to.
“I said that? Well, she’s got a good growl to her voice. I like the tonality of her voice. Not so much the gymnastics,” he said of the singer who has become known for incorporating her gymnastics past into her current touring.
“But, I like her voice and I like her earlier stuff.”
Another performer he’s discovered is Bruno Mars — courtesy of the musical tastes of his kids.
“Take Bruno Mars. He’s not one of those guys with a big frown on his face scowling at the edge of the stage. He’s kicking ass these days.”
As for his own music, yes there are some days when James feels he’s sang Why’d You Lie or Into the Mystic one time too often.
“That’s the struggle,” he said.
“So, you leave it alone for a while and then you bring it back and you rediscover it.”
The April 26 show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $45 and are available at the Kamloops Live box office.
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