James Hunter: Old soul music "The Hard Way"

James Hunter is a throwback to some of the best days of sweet American soul music, with some tasty R&B and even a little doo-wop. And he's a Brit. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

He's getting a lot of mileage out of this fine old music, and deservedly so. Along with a handful of other fine musicians, he's re-creating a great sound in his own talented way. It's just that for us old BluesBurghers, all foster children of the Daddio of the Raddio, this music has never really gone anywhere, except to sink a little further into our skin.

But let's not look a gifted soul singer in the mouth, other than to enjoy his chops.

 Hunter writes great stuff, and sings it in beautifully, with tasteful arrangements -- subtle horns in the background, some nice piano, all sitting back and letting his gritty vocals work. You can hear all the classic moves in his voice, and the swinging, sometimes lush arrangements -- think Sam Cooke, a little Otis, some hints of the Drifters (I kept hearing them doing almost as well with his title track) -- all good stuff.

The best thing is that in re-living the music, he makes it his own.  It's not just an oldies show. Hunter captures the spirit of this music and gives it freshness and energy. It's contemporary and fresh, and you can feel the fun Hunter has with the music. He's not going through the motions.

Some of my favorites here include the title track, in which Hunter makes his voice dance around the melody, in and out of the tight musical backing. "Hand It Over" is full of sweetness and love, just like the best old soul music. "Jacqueline" is a rhythmic ode to his wife, with lots of great horn in the middle. "Believe Me Baby" is a rollicking New Orleans piece, with the magnificent Allen Toussaint on piano, and Hunter bounces back into the Frogman Henry era. The set closes with a softly done "Strange But True," with just Hunter and a guitar. Very nice.

 Here's a clip of "Believe Me Baby" for a taste of Hunter:

 For the weekend

The Carnegie Arts and Heritage Festival returns this weekend (Thursday through Saturday) with some live music -- it hasn't been the Carnegie Blues Festival for a few years, but there still looks to be some good music on tap, with a few blues bands in the mix. Here's the band list and schedule.

 The Sauce Boss -- Bill Wharton -- comes to Moondog's in Blawnox Friday night. Wharton cooks and stews with music and food, usually winding up with something to feed the crowd.