Colin James continues to churn out remarkably original tunes his way - blending soul, roots and rock with a rare, slick sophistication. Check out the wizardry of his latest disc Limelight when he plays the Memorial Centre Feb. 21.

"I've found something musically that I like more than anything, and that's soul," he explains. "It doesn't have to be soul music in the traditional sense, but soulful.

"I'm looking for more than just a hook. I want something that has emotional energy, a bit of a yearning to it."

Limelight bristles with just that, from the brisk, infectious opening cut ‘Better Way to Heaven’ to the scaled down reflective title track. That tune segues beautifully into the simmering ‘Far Away Like a Radio’ (the disc's first single) revealing his incredible vocal strengths. This doesn't even sound like same guy, but a better and more heartfelt interpretation is hard to imagine.

’On My Way Back to You’ continues to show just how versatile James is on so many levels - the laid-back vocal and textured melody meld effortlessly and perfectly. Co-written with frequent collaborator Craig Northey, it might just be James' favourite original cut on Limelight.

"It started off as just a simple love song and grew from there," he says. "We went from singing about a relationship to something even bigger - a kind of meditation on the human spirit. It's also virtually a live take. On the lead vocal, I probably changed two words and that's it."

With a style tapping into blues, rock, big band and R&B, James' career was launched with his self-titled debut for Virgin America, which rapidly garnered multi-platinum status in Canada.

After more than one million discs sold and six Juno Awards, his creativity continues to jolt critics and attract new fans.

"It's funny, but I'm starting to love singing now more than almost anything," he says. "I love to play guitar too. But I'm starting to feel that I'm singing better than I've ever sung. I enjoy it more, and I don't think about it the way I used to."

Limelight marks James' first disc for MapleMusic Recordings.

Besides a slate of fresh originals, the project includes fabulous covers like Van Morrison's ‘Into the Mystic’ and Dylan's ‘Watchin' the River Flow’.

"I'm really trying to put everything into every song, and have each song stand on its own merits," he explains. "I also wanted to make a record that was listenable, even at lower volumes. Something that could fill a room every once in a while without pounding.

"Of course, there are some songs that really rock out - I can't help myself - but there is a lot of stuff that is much more mellow and introspective."

Limelight was produced by Colin Linden, whose credits include work with Bruce Cockburn and The Band. The two Colins have been pals since their teen years.

"Not only is he a great player and songwriter in his own right, he knows every stage of what I've done from rock to blues to the Little Big Band stuff," says James. "Colin knows where I come from, and instinctively understood where I wanted to go with Limelight."

The disc also features a cast of supporting players whose work spans a who's who of rock and soul. Meanwhile, James is intent on infusing the versatility captured on his discs into his live shows.

"I've been touring with a small horn section: trumpet and sax," he says. "It's a dream for me. It gives me a lot of flexibility. I can bop into a couple of Little Big Band songs, then go back into a soul number; the horns even sound great in some of my old rock stuff," he says.

"It's really kind of unifying the phases of my career."