Colin James, an institution on the Canadian music scene for more than 20 years, is set to bring the blues to the Canadian Rockies.

James, in what may be his first appearance in Hinton, will co-headline the Wild Mountain Music Festival with Wide Mouth Mason, and share the stage with several local bands between July 16 and 18.

While much of the nation knows Colin James for hit singles like Just Came Back to Say Goodbye, Cadillac Baby and Voodoo Thing, he still recalls his early days, busking for exposure and meals. 

By the age of 12, he was playing mandolin in a bluegrass band, playing traditional fiddle tunes. But at age 15, he saw the legendary harmonica player James Cotton play live, and his life was changed forever. 

He had to play the Blues.

“I was a big fan of Cotton. Here was this guy who was still killing it, still tearing it up after all these years,” James said.

He moved around from Regina to Montreal to Vancouver, busking in subways before catching a break. He was able to play with many great blues musicians, such as John Lee Hooker and George Thorogood before getting a chance to play with a seminal artist who showed him the ropes.

“I was living hand to mouth until I was 20, then I ended up on the road playing with Stevie Ray Vaughn,” James said.

For James, the Blues is an institution that must be honoured and passed through generations.

“It’s a tradition, and you handle it as such,” James said, who says he’s still in awe of Blues legends such as Cotton, John Lee Hooker and Albert Collins. He still watches videos of old Bluesmen on Youtube, still trying to learn the craft.

“When you see a guy like Albert Collins play, you realize you’re just a beginner. In three notes, he can do so much.”

The Blues have always strung through James’ work, from the Little Big Band project to his pop-rock days. However, he anticipates releasing his first straight Blues album next year to accompany an acoustic album. He’s been reluctant to record a straight Blues album, but said he’s now ready.

“I don’t like writing in the Blues idiom and so many songs have been done a thousand times,” James said.

Age has not stood in the way of prolonged careers for many Blues performers (James is now 46 with two children), and he expects to follow their lead. 

“It’s not only allowed, it’s expected,” James said.

However one threat James perceives to his anticipated long career is file sharing. 

“Anyone in my position that’s comfortable with file sharing would be crazy,” James said.

Due to the amount of pirated material, record companies are less willing to take chances, James said. He’s seeing his budgets get cut for his own recordings. The devolution will affect the quality of the music, he says, as well as the quality of the recording. He recounts one situation at a restaurant where his music was playing. A member of the restaurant staff came out to tell him she loved his work, and had ripped all of his albums from the internet. He said he almost left without paying.

“It’s the same thing,” James said.

It’s a rarity for James to play Jasper or Hinton, however he’s played in Banff many times. Joining James at the Wild Mountain Music Festival are several local bands, including the Fiddle River Band, the Linkomatics and Laura Vinson. For a complete list of the line-up, visit www.wildmountainmusicfest.ca.