Table 103, Row A, Seat 2
James Hunter may have slept in and arrived late for sound check, but
the 1:00 matinee show started right on time. Supported only by Myles Weeks on
upright bass (“for economic reasons”), Hunter probably could have played it
safe and gone with stripped-down versions of songs from his typical band shows.
Instead, he did only a few old favorites, concentrating on a combination of new
songs from an album planned for release next year and covers of other artists’
material, familiar and otherwise. It actually worked well, in an 80-minute
22-song set, as the absence of a full band showcased Hunter’s guitar virtuosity
more than ever, earning numerous ovations from the crowd, as well as some chops
on harmonica (especially during a rousing version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Step
Back”).
Other covers included a blazing guitar instrumental on Clarence “Gatemouth”
Brown’s “Okie Dokie Stomp”, and two classics by Chuck Berry: “Too Much Monkey
Business” towards the end of the set, and “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” for the
encore. The newer material he previewed was fully up to his usual high
standards, notably the wordplay of “Missing in Action”, the tender ballad “Light
of My Life”, and the sly “Paradise for One”.