The top complaint most recording artists have about the road is what to do with the other 22 hours of the day when they’re not performing.
That doesn’t bother James Hunter a bit. The veteran blue-eyed soul singer, who grew up in Essex, England, and now lives in Brighton, England, enjoys taking in the sights when he tours America.
“I caught the bus to the Port Authority this morning and had some fun in Manhattan,” Hunter said while calling from Secaucus, N.J. “I go where I always go, to a particular diner and had the Irish breakfast and forgot about everything else.”
Hunter, 52, an amateur shutterbug, snapped a bunch of photos. “I pulled out my camera and took shots of people doing interesting things,” Hunter said.
Turnabout is fair play. Hunter, who will perform Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Katherine Hepburn Theater and Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Iron Horse Music Hall, is often captured on camera and video while onstage.
“I don’t mind that anyone in the audience does that,” Hunter said. “All I ask is that they post the good performances but it never works out that way. The crap ones always go up on Youtube.”
The good-natured Hunter laughs at what he can’t control. But that wasn’t so three-years ago when he lost his wife Jacqueline to cancer. That’s part of the reason five years passed between 2008’s “The Hard Way” and his latest and fifth album, “Minute By Minute.”
“It was very difficult losing her,” Hunter said. “She heard a bunch of the songs on this album. She said “Drop On Me” needed a different arrangement and I gave it a different arrangement.I think she would have liked what we came up with.”
Hunter and his Six, baritone saxophonist Lee Badau, tenor saxophonist Damian Hand, keyboardist Kyle Koehler, bassist Jason Wilson and drummer Jonathan Lee, nail it with a collection of gritty, poignant and celebratory old school soul.
Hunter, in the tradition of such iconic soul singers as Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, belts it out like he means it. That’s particularly with the powerful love songs, such as the gut wrenching “Heartbreak,” and the visceral “If I Only Knew.” Hunter rings out every emotional nuance, while his band delivers with Hunter’s inventive guitar breaks and whimsical organ lines.
“This is the style of music that touched me when I was growing up,” Hunter said. “The Beatles were great and the Rolling Stones only got better when they started writing their own music. But there’s something about those soul singers. Their style of music is just so direct and it always just touched me. I’ve always been passionate about it. What’s on the charts has never caught my attention like this style of music.”
Hunter isn’t just an emotional singer, he’s also an engaging performer with a terrific sense of humor. “It’s just me being me up there,” Hunter said. “I have a lot of fun when I’m onstage.”
But Hunter has a good time regardless of locale. “It’s true,” Hunter said. “I missed an interview this morning because of it. But you can always make that up. You can’t always have fun and see interesting things, particularly when you’re at home.. I know a lot of guys just stay put when they’re on the road but I had the chance to go out in one of the greatest cities to take photos. You only go around once so I try to have as much fun when I’m writing and making music, playing it live or just taking time out during the day. Before long I’ll be back relaxing with my dog at home. Now is the time for me to take advantage of what I can experience here. Maybe I can work that experience into some new songs.”
JAMES HUNTER appears Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Katharine Hepburn Theatre, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. Tickets are $38. Show time is 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 877-503-1286; katharinehepburntheater.org. Hunter appears Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St., Northampton. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Show time is 7 p.m. For more information, call 413-586-8686; www.iheg.com.
