TORONTO AND THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER
Hello one and all,
Just got back to Vancouver after a crazy few days. Played a charity up at Casino Rama which was really fun. Had the whole band with horns and all for that show and the Navy ships the next day in Halifax. We then went flew to Toronto where I played an acoustic set with my friend Chris Caddell supporting Steve Miller at the Molson Amphitheatre.
Wasn’t sure how an acoustic thing would be received at that venue but the people were awesome and were very receptive to it. Then, much to my surprise Steve Miller asked me to join him as soon as I got off the stage for 4 songs almost right at the start of his set. He’s a class act and was totally generous and fantastic. We talked guitars and amps and about our favorite players. Turned into a great time.
I then ran downtown in the hopes of catching Mavis Staples at the Jazz Festival. I just got there in time for the last song where she called me up to play with her fantastic band. We played “I’ll Take You There” and at least I got to hear one of the most distinctive and soulful voices known to man for at least one song. I’ve known Mavis and Yvonne for quite a few years now and she is always so kind and lovely to me. She sang on my song Freedom many years ago when I recorded in the Bahamas and she came down there. My parents were big fans of the Staple Singers so I grew up on her voice.
To cap my Toronto night off, I ran into James Cotton when returning to my hotel and had the chance to say hello and chat a little. We had played to gather on the Downchild anniversary show earlier this year at Massey Hall. Anyway it was a perfect Toronto night.
Playing here and there through summer and I’m actually heading over to Norway to play the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway as a guest of Downchild in early August. Should be fun. We are starting to plan the next recording and I like where we are going with it so….. I guess that’s about it for now.
Have a great summer,
Colin James