REVIEW: Colin James, Colin James And The Little Big
Band II
- Bill Holmes
As jump, swing and blues appeal to yet another generation, record labels are (ahem) jumping on the trend like they do any other, everyone searching for their Brian Setzer Orchestra. Colin James put his money where his mouth was back in 1993, however, and achieved double-platinum success in his native Canada. Six years later, the world has caught up with him - or rightfully, with Cab Calloway, Louis Prima and Louis Jordan.
There's nothing groundbreaking here - bands like Chicago's late Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows have forged blues and swing for years - but at least James seems like a purist and not a bandwagon jumper. I've seen enough people detaching their nose rings and donning zoot suits to last me a lifetime, thanks, and what comes out is the same lame attempt to ride the wave that's already passed them by. James eschews posing for some nice turns of Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson and Memphis Slim in addition to two of his own cuts. If he weren't sincere, this would be a dance party recording; instead, slices of blues pain like "You Know My Love" are prominently included.
Naturally, the main features are all there - rollicking drumbeat, crack horn section, standup bass, strong keyboards. James' voice has the right soft rasp for the material, and his guitar playing is solid but not showy, (think B.B.King and Robert Cray). The result is a record that sounds fresh, not dated, which, of course, is the point of all this.
