Colin James - Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 (2016)

While a handful of young crooners have achieved fast fame in recent years by covering big band classics, Colin James's lifelong study of the blues has manifested into Colin James & the Little Big Band, a genuine backwoods-juke-joint-meets-Stax-recording-session composite guaranteed to make even the most sedentary person swing. While James's endeavour to crack the pop charts over the years has resulted in a number of mediocre releases, his powerful bluesy-swing performances on the Little Big Band series clearly show off all his strengths. As far as 3 is concerned, the likeability factor kicks in straight from the opening track, Berry Gordy Jr.'s "Reet Petite," and continues on through to the final cut, Wilson Pickett's "If You Need Me."

The songs are primarily revered soul and blues numbers; while many singers don't have the power to aptly cover such classics, the richness and control in James's voice makes him more than capable of handling their depth. Much credit should also go to his spectacular bandmates--including legendary brass players from Roomful of Blues and the Memphis Horns--who ensure that the disc continuously cooks from top to bottom. From Doc Pomus's "Lonely Avenue" to Sam Cooke's "That's Where It's At," the slow songs are wonderfully emotive, but the real fun lies in the uptempo numbers ("Where Y'at," "Feelin' Good") which highlight the driving sound of a full band, horns-ablazing. -- Denise Sheppard