83-year-old Calgary accountant pursues dream of being a jazz singer, releases first CD

Jim Hutchison knew from an early age that he wanted to be a singer.

“Probably when I was five years old sitting on the throne in the bathroom singing with the church hymn book in my hand,” Hutchison laughed as he recalled his early joy from singing “Onward Christian Soldiers, at the top of my voice.”

“I think I had this dream of being an opera star like Luciano Pavarotti,” Hutchison continued.

He recalled walking down the street singing jazz standards in Montreal. He played in his junior high band before moving with his family to Calgary in 1953, but never pursued music as a career.

“I’m a third generation CA, so a very conservative outlook on life,” said the former chartered accountant. “My father would’ve said music is not a real career.”

In the years after, Hutchinson attended university to become an accountant, where he was still coaxed to exert his musical gift and unique voice.

“I remember a pianist saying, ‘Jim why don’t you do something with your voice?’ and I guess it never really clicked. I got married, had kids, had the career and did accounting and finance,” Hutchison said.

It did eventually click. It just took decades of being an accountant and investment banker in Calgary.

Hutchinson recalled a time when he was closing an oil deal at a home in Calgary. He heard music coming from the basement. It was from the coach of the Calgary Opera Singers.

“I heard this music and I went downstairs. I said I’m going to take lessons from you, so I trained with her,” he laughed.

The 83 year-old just released his first CD. He said the skills he honed as an investment banker harmonize with being in a jazz band.

“Business is like a jazz band,” Hutchison said. “You have to have cooperation. You have to listen to each other. You have to have harmony and you have to be creative.”

It’s not just jazz singing that Hutchison took up late in the game. He ran his first marathon at 59 and has run 11 marathons since.

“I’m 83, but I don’t feel any different. I’m slower obviously in running and when I ski the double black, I take a lot of breaks,” he said. “I don’t feel like my brain is different than it ever was. I’m very fortunate with my health and people say you do work at it and I guess I work at my music but life is for living.”

Hutchinson sang in several choirs in Calgary, however his distinctive voice stood out too much. The singer said the connection he feels with the band and the audience fits like a glove.

“I like to be able to see that when I am singing that I am moving you or you are enjoying dancing to my music,” Hutchison said.

He now croons at gigs all over Alberta. His secret is simple: staying active and do something you love.

“Grab a hold of something that brings you joy and do it with everything that you have. Put it all into it,” Hutchison said. “I’m very blessed.”

Hutchison speaks fondly of his fellow octogenarian bandmate  trumpeter Al Muirhead who is on his CD.

“He (Muirhead) was 87 when we recorded on there. I saw him playing at the Ironwood (in Calgary) and I said I’m not that much younger than you and he said ‘don’t stop.’ ” Hutchison said.

Hutchison will be singing alongside Chris Tauchner on the piano at the Fairmont Palliser on March 8.

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