www.blueyonderonline.com

A casual introduction at an open stage usually leads to little more than a couple of stories swapped and the exchange of encouragement.

But every once in a while, two players will discover an immediate chemistry and decide to investigate the potential of a new musical friendship.

A few years ago, two longtime members of the Edmonton music community crossed paths in a pub. It was the start of a journey that has resulted in Willy James and Winston Quelch, collectively known as Blue Yonder, releasing an album titled Paradise.

James, a vocalist and writer who has steeped himself in the sounds of classic folk-rock and country-rock artists, and guitarist/writer Quelch, who was a cornerstone in the foundation of the western Canadian country scene, are unveiling the project Saturday night at the Newcastle Pub.

"I remember the evening we met; I certainly knew who Winston was," says James. "I used to go hear him with Pickins and One Horse Blue all the time in the days when those big taverns, like the one in the Rex Hotel, booked bands six nights a week."

As a pub entertainer, James can draw on a seemingly infinite song list, hooking into requests for Merle Haggard, J.J. Cale or Gordon Lightfoot at the drop of a hat.

"At this open stage I was hosting, I talked Winston into coming up and playing on a couple of songs and we hit it off. Not long after, we put together a new version of Pickins and then Winston, myself and bass player John Peterson wrote a song called One Shot in the Dark. It was a response to one of the first gang-related shootings in this city," continues James of the tune that made the final cut of the new disc of original material.

Busy with other projects, whether it be gigging or in Quelch's case taking care of a number of guitar students, the Blue Yonder sessions were put on hold. Once the two got back into it there was no shortage of material to draw on.

Quelch had four songs sitting around from his days with One Horse Blue as well as the Foreign Films band that had been road-tested but never used on recordings. Both he and James felt they were obvious choices for the sessions.

"Willy was the perfect vehicle for my songs Paradise, And You Ran and Face to Face," Quelch says. "The fact is he sings really well and I don't.

"The other thing about Blue Yonder is that we have a good live band. We can pull it off."

Quelch will be working with drummer Matt Walker, bassist Peterson and John Calverly, who added some tasty fiddle playing to the James original How Many Nights, which also made the final cut for the album.

Saturday's album-release party kicks off with Crawdad Cantera fronting a blues quartet at 9 p.m., then Blue Yonder hits the stage at 10, playing the tunes on the album. A third set will find everyone involved opening the night up to whatever feels right.

There's no cover charge and the Newcastle Pub is located at 6108 90th Ave.