Colin James is back with his electrifying 21st studio album, Chasing the Sun. This time, the acclaimed singer-songwriter and master guitarist has pulled together a stellar cast of musical heavyweights. The album features contributions from Americana legend Lucinda Williams, harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite, and the renowned producer-guitarist Colin Linden, among others. Together, they’ve created seven scorching blues-rock originals and four dazzling covers that showcase James' ability to keep pushing his music to new heights.

Co-written with longtime collaborator Tom Wilson (of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings) and the MacDonald Brothers (from the Trews), Chasing the Sun builds on a repertoire that has already earned James eight JUNO Awards, 31 Maple Blues Awards, and a spot in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. With a career spanning over 35 years and 20 studio albums under his belt, James is not slowing down. His 2021 release, Open Road, won the JUNO Award for Best Blues Album and was nominated for the Blues Foundation’s Best Blues Rock Album in 2023.

Besides Lucinda Williams and Charlie Musselwhite, Chasing the Sun boasts bassist Darryl Jones and drummer Charley Drayton (who’ve backed Miles Davis and the Rolling Stones), and gospel greats Ann and Regina McCrary. Playing with these luminaries was a surreal experience for James. “I’m a huge Miles Davis fan,” he says. “I had to be careful not to bombard Darryl with questions about him.”

These collaborations were made possible thanks to James’ dear friend and frequent collaborator, Colin Linden. Linden, who co-produced the album with James at his Pinhead Recorders studio in Nashville, also added his own touch with guitars, bass, and dobro across the album’s 11 tracks. The result is a collection that’s not only technically brilliant but also emotionally resonant. The seven originals, co-written by James and a constellation of talented songwriters, including Wilson and members of the Trews, stand out as some of the most dazzling tracks of James’ long and varied career. His four expertly chosen covers further showcase his extraordinary versatility, with renditions of songs by John Hammond, Paul Butterfield, Linden, and Lucinda herself on the album’s sinewy opener, “Protection.”

Covering a song by an artist he admires, especially with them in the room, wasn’t without its challenges. “Oh yeah,” laughs James, who has shared stages with giants like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. “Lucinda is such a revered songwriter, such a legend. But she’s so nice. Hearing our voices together on tape was such a pleasure.”

Chasing the Sun is an absolute pleasure from start to finish. The album’s accessible songs reflect the relaxed and convivial atmosphere of the writing sessions, which took place primarily in Wilson’s home in Hamilton, ON, and the recording sessions at Linden’s purpose-built studio in Nashville.