By Eleni P. Austin
James Hunter is an old soul. Born in 1962, in Colchester, Essex England, he was part of the generation that experienced Glitter/Glam Rock and Punk first hand. But Hunter wasn’t interested in musical trends or fads.
As a boy, his grandmother gave him a collection of vintage 78s, and that music was a revelation. While his contemporaries were Bowie-izing their hair and strapping on platform shoes, and later, fashioning mohawks and sticking safety pins in their cheeks, James was exploring music that broke down barriers in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
He was drawn to the silky style of Nat King Cole, the driving Rhythm & Blues of Ray Charles, the gritty sounds from Chess Records artists like Bobby “Blue” Bland and Willie Dixon, and the smooth Soul of Sam Cooke. Along the way, he dug deep into the Motown and Stax catalogs as well as Northern Soul, Blue Beat and Ska.
After he graduated, James got a job working on the railroad, apparently, all the live-long day. But by his early 20s, he fronted his first band, (whimsically named) Howlin’ Wilf And The Veejays. Although 1986 found England in the thrall of the Smiths and the Pet Shop Boys, Hunter and his band concentrated on offering up faithful covers of Soul and R&B nuggets.
His combo packed clubs with their high energy shows. Pretty soon, the band came to the attention of Van Morrison. Van The Man championed the young band, insisting that James was “one of the best voices and best kept secrets in British R&B and Soul.”
Even though Howlin’ Wilf And The Vee-Jays parted company, James persevered, spending a few years recording and touring in Van Morrison’s band he is actually featured on a couple of records; A Night In San Francisco and Days Like These.
After that august apprenticeship, James forged ahead with a solo career, releasing two records in England, Believe What I Say in 1996 and Kick It Around in 1999. Both were a mixed bag of canny covers and a few original songs. Unfortunately, they received scant attention.
For the remainder of the 20th century, James honed his songwriting skills and by 2006 he released his American debut, People Gonna Talk. The diligence to songcraft paid off, the record received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album.
He wasted no time capitalizing on the heat generated from People…. 2008 saw the release of his sophomore effort, The Hard Way. Doubling down on the same winning formula, he gained a broader U.S. following by serving as an opening act for Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Etta James and his mentor, Van Morrison.
Sadly, just as his career began to gain traction, his wife Jackie was diagnosed with cancer, she passed away in 2011. Devastated, James retreated for a couple of years, returning in 2013 with “Minute By Minute.” A transcendent collection of songs, it was dedicated to Jackie. As an acknowledgement to his longtime backing band, the album was credited to the James Hunter Six.
“Minute…” was released on the venerable Bay Area label, Fantasy, (Vince Guraldi, Creedence Clearwater Revival). It was produced by Bosco Mann (ne’ Gabriel Roth), the Riverside native who co-founded Brooklyn based Daptone Records. Focusing on Funk and Soul, the label is home to incredible bands like Antibalas, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Tones, The Budos Band and Charles Bradley.
Now the James Hunter Six is actually signed to Daptone. After a couple of years on the road, the band, drummer Jonathan Lee, sax men Lee Badu and Damian Hand, bassist Jason Wilson and Andrew Kingslow on piano, percussion and keys headed into Bosco Mann’s Riverside recording studio, Daptone West. The result is their fourth long-player, Hold On!.
The album gets off to a rollicking start with “If That Don’t Tell You.” A triple time tattoo is accented by propulsive horns, vibes, and an “everybody skate backwards” organ solo. The track feels like a cosmic cousin to Jackie Wilson’s epochal “Baby, Work Out. Slipping into the skin of a loquacious lothario, he renounces his promiscuous past. James’ vocal gymnastics are positively thrilling as he insists “I put my bad old ways behind me.”
The script is flipped on “A Truer Heart.” Over peppery horns, a stop-start rhythm, piano flourishes and a smoky harmonica, James is the good natured cuckold. Here he is patient and reassuring. “You may find your treasure anywhere you please, but if you can’t weather those dark and stormy seas you’ll never have to be alone/Just set your sails for home, you’ll never find a truer heart than mine.
Each James Hunter Six album is generally jam-packed with sharp dance-party grooves, but they also know exactly when to slow the action for those suave cheek-to-cheek moments. With “This Is Where I Came In” and “Something’s Calling” the band covers those bases.
The former opens with arch organ notes that split the difference between churchy and kitschy. Relaxing into a louche Cha-Cha-Cha, the tune is powered by rippling piano chords and plush Jordanaires-style backing vocals. James is heartfelt rueful as he sketches out a tale of romantic ennui, noting, it’s “a story as old as time.”
The latter is a majestic shuffle that recalls the Shirelles’ Soul chestnut, “Baby, It’s You.” Anchored by shivery horns and swoon-and-croon vocals. Burnished and buttery, it’s a quiescent lover’s prayer, ripe with longing and desire.
The best tracks here manage to capture the frisson of the band’s incendiary live sound. “(Baby) Hold On” packs a powerful punch. Sinewy guitar riffs snake through the melody, fluttery keys punctuate each verse as James pledges his undying fealty before beginning a lengthy stint up the river. On the instrumental break honking sax fills parry and joust with chicken-scratch guitar chords.
“Free Your Mind” shares some musical DNA with “Love Potion #9.” Fueled by rattle-trap snare fills, rumbling bass lines and pulsating horns, the song’s secret weapon is James’ dynamic Vic Flick guitar licks which seem both shaken and stirred.
“Satchel Foot” is a crackling instrumental that provides a tour de force showcase for the entire band. James’ bee-stung guitar riffs glide between surfin’ and spyin. Andrew Kingslow’s honeyed organ runs swivel and sway. Lee Badau and Damian Hand’s dueling saxophones lock into a frenzied tongue kiss. Meanwhile Jason Wilson’s bass locks down the low-end and drummer Jonathan Lee’s stuttery time-keeping maintains order.
Other interesting tracks include “Light Of My Life” which is powered by a relax-fit backbeat, oscillating horn flourishes and a slithery organ solo. “Stranded” feels like a long lost Motown song, the melody is wed to Hitsville handclaps, syncopated sax notes and James’ trilling vocals.
The album closes with the finger-poppin’ cool of “In The Dark.” Breezy guitar blends with slinky vibes, quavery horns and tinkling piano, as James’ dulcet tones wash over, lithe and reassuring.
James Hunter has weathered some storms since his American debut in 2006. Along the way he has cemented his reputation as a Soul powerhouse. But none of it would have happened without the dynamic presence of his band.
Hold On! manages the neat trick of sounding fresh and familiar at the same time: Sweet Soul music for the 21st century.
