Expect more music for Canadian musician Colin James in the near future. "I want to make quite a few records in a short period of time now," he said. "I don't want to spend a lot of time on these things. I want to whup them out, maybe three records in the next two years."

Back in '88, Colin James was a testosterone-propelled guitar-slinger cranking out blues-rock tunes like Voodoo Thing. Now, 16 years later, Mr. James has gone, well -- mellow.

Perhaps that's putting it a little harshly (no self-respecting rocker wants his or her name connected with the dreaded M-word). Let's just say that that James' latest album contains a ballad, Make a Mistake, that marks his debut on adult contemporary radio. Yes, we're talking AC radio -- sharing aging baby-boomer airtime with Sting's slick burblings and Rod Stewart's great American songbook croonings.

Make a Mistake, from James' disc Traveler, boasts a classic Philly soul sound ? la Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes -- in fact, it sounds a close cousin to If You Don't Know Me By Now. James sings in a relaxed, soulful way over lazy guitar, chiming Rhodes piano and finger-snappin' backup singers.

Going AC is a definite milestone for this Stratocaster sharp-shooter.

"You don't want to be known as going soft. I know it's silly," confessed James, who turns 40 this summer. "This was the kind of record where I wanted to branch away from the typical rock record. It was kind of a stab in a new direction."

In fact, he did cut a few ballads on his eponymous 1988 debut album. But after that, James, best known as a macho blues-rocker in the tradition of Stevie Ray Vaughan and early Jeff Healey, says he tended to shy away such material. That's not to say he hasn't been diverse. The critically-lauded National Steel was an acoustic-style disc focusing on gritty Delta blues. James has also fronted jump-blues orchestras for his "Little Big Band" projects, which spawned two albums salted with vintage songs by Roy Brown, Roscoe Gordon and others.

Traveler is a mix of cover tunes and original material, written with Craig Northey (formerly of The Odds) and Jeff Trott (who's also penned tunes with Sheryl Crow). The covers include John Lennon's I'm Losing You, Jimi Hendrix's Rainy Day, Dream Away and -- most surprisingly -- a sparse interpretation of Black Eyed Dog, composed by '70s cult favourite Nick Drake.

The album was recorded at Paramour Studios, a 1923 Los Angeles mansion with a marble pool and gas-lit lamps, and a 360-degree view of the city. The producer, Mark Howard -- who'd just finished a Lucinda Williams record -- espoused a gritty approach that occasionally conflicted with James' more precise, even perfectionist, methods.

Tensions sometimes ran high.

"Mark's a really of-the-moment guy. If he thinks you've got the track you're looking for, even if there's mistakes on it, he'd rather leave the mistakes than fix anything."

James acknowledges there is merit in Howard's warts-and-all techniques. On the other hand, he wouldn't allow any flat or sour notes to surface on Traveler, no matter how good the groove was on a particular take.

Traveler marks a reunion for Northey and James. They co-wrote songs for James' previous album, Fuse. Both are based in Vancouver. A mutual friend suggested Northey when James was looking for a musical collaborator in the same city rather than traveling to Nashville or Toronto. While Northey's more of a British invasion fan than the blues-loving James, the pair's musical meeting point is a shared love of Stax records (home to Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett) and Motown music.

"And there's the hangability," said James, used also used Northey in his touring bands. "We get along well."

Part of the reason for finding a local song-writing partner was to spend more time at home with his children. Now the youngsters are of school age (kindergarten and Grade 3), which means James is freed up to focus even more on his music.

"I want to make quite a few records in a short period of time now," he said. "I don't want to spend a lot of time on these things. I want to whup them out, maybe three records in the next two years."

What James has in mind is a bluesy, no-frills album in the style of Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac. With this in mind he's approached his old friend Colin Linden, who co-produced National Steel. He'd also like to take advantage of his recent play on adult contemporary radio by recording more ballads. As well, James is compiling a list of old jump-blues songs for a future Little Big Band album.

That's not all. He and Linden plan to approach Mavis Staples of the Staples Singers about producing a new solo album for her. James, a big Staples Singers fan, would also like to play on the disc -- if one does transpire. He believes Mavis Staples --whose recorded solo output is notoriously uneven -- "never got her due," unlike the late Pops Staples, who earned a Grammy in 1994.

The big four-oh is looming on the horizon (he turns 40 in August), but it doesn't sound like James has any intention of slowing down. Meanwhile, the '80s guitar scorcher turned soul crooner says he's looking forward to returning to Victoria after dates in Nanaimo (March 16) and Port Alberni (tonight).

"I can't wait to get back to the Royal," he said. "I have a soft spot for that place."

© Copyright 2004 Times Colonist (Victoria)