We first crossed paths with James Hunter just over a year ago, in our first-ever video interview. People Gonna Talk was just out and it was a big (quiet) buzz record. And now the new record is even more so, The Hard Way. Hunter could take off in a huge way from a ground swell of agreement, like the R&B version of Norah Jones.
Although his stage swagger and icy guitar ways add greatly to his live reputation, the real selling and staying power of James Hunter are the tunes, and who's crooning them. The Colchester twist he puts on the melodies and rhythms of the R&B masters have produced gems like "No Smoke Without Fire" and "Mollena" from the debut and "Jacqueline" and "Don't Do me No Favors," all of which possess what's now a very familiar signature. And there's something so raw on the one hand and so pat on the other that he could also end up with a slice of that big ol' pie that George Thorogood been getting bad to the bone with all these years.
Another year into his rising success, we certainly found James to be in good humor and spirits. Don't miss his show when he comes to your town.
