Allmusic.com
characterizes Hunter as an “English channeler of American soul from days of
yore”, which is probably as apt a description as any. What it doesn’t capture is
that Hunter manages to draw upon his influences while nevertheless creating a
sound that is uniquely his own. As both the lead vocalist and only guitar
player in his superb band – Hunter now bills the act as “The James Hunter Six”
– his sound heavily features his two sax players to drive his melodies, with
his alternately edgy or supremely lyrical guitar work mainly reserved for the
bridges of the songs. He also writes superb songs, both uptempo and ballads;
one of my favorite Hunter lyrics is from “Don’t Come Back”:
Never have revenge in mind
‘Cos an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind
But forgiveness is the business of some other diplomat
So baby don’t come back.
Hunter has an excellent web site, which includes notes and track
listings for all of his U.S.-released albums, as well as links to a number of
interviews.
Fortunately for his fans, Hunter and his band tour frequently and
generally hit the DC area. He does get around venue-wise: in addition to the
shows listed below, I’ve seen him at Wolf Trap, XPNFest in Camden, and the
Birchmere.
Recent concerts:
Favorite songs:
People Gonna Talk
Don’t Come Back
Look Out
Tell Her
Hand It Over
One Way Love
The Hard Way
This Is Where We Came In
You Can’t Win
Kick It Around
Let The Monkey Ride
How Long
Talkin ‘Bout My Love
Whatever It Takes
(Baby) Hold On
Hear Me Calling
Don’t Do Me No Favours
Believe What I Say
I Don’t Wanna Be Without You
Each of the above is available on one of Hunter’s studio CDs. I would
be remiss, however, to not also mention his classic cover version of The “5”
Royales’ “Baby Don’t Do It”, which is a staple of his live shows.
