James Hunter
James Hunter (vocals, guitar); Damian Hand (tenor sax); Lee Badau (baritone sax); Kyle Koehler (keyboards); Andrew Kingslow (double bass); Jonathan Lee (drums).
James Hunter (GB)
The 2006 album People Gonna Talk allowed James Hunter to break
through to a wider audience. This breakthrough was the result of
some twenty years of hard work in clubs and recording albums on
smaller labels. Unbelievable, considering that this Englishman has
a voice of unparalleled beauty and authenticity. Last year, he
released the CD The Hard Way. The music on this album is soul with
a capital 'S' and its style has its roots in the sound of people
like Jackie Wilson and particularly, Sam Cooke. The latter is
Hunter's greatest source of inspiration. Hunter not only has a
wonderful way of thinking, he, like no other, is able to strike the
right chord with one effective blow. In addition, in his live
performances, he shifts effortlessly from soul to blues and from
ska to calypso. All this may mean that Hunter could be one of the
biggest surprises at this year's festival.