James Hunter The Hard Way

Randi Kraemer from Specialops Media dropped me this message:

Soul deep Brit James Hunter - who possesses a "tight, slithery soul groove" and a "sweet growl" (NY Times) - will make his Hear Music debut with the June 10 release of 'The Hard Way.' The new album finds Hunter delving further into the realm of deep soul on a set of all-original material.

'The Hard Way' was produced by Liam Watson (The White Stripes) at famed analogue haven Toe Rag Studios in London. The album will be carried in Starbucks company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada as well as traditional music retailers and digital download stores starting on June 10, 2008.

The instrumental palette is rich and the arrangements sharpened for 'The Hard Way.' Allen Toussaint joins Hunter on the sultry "Til The End," the rhumba "Believe Me Baby," and the title track. The gorgeous Echo Strings buoy "The Hard Way" and the romantic "Carina," with accompanying pedal steel. The jumping "Don't Do Me No Favors" is designed for the dance floor.

The album resolves with the romantic ballad "Strange But True," the first Hunter recording stripped down to just vocals and guitar. The album also showcases further evidence of Hunter's guitar prowess, his manic solos recalling the fretwork of Ike Turner.

Hunter has extensively road tested the new album, crisscrossing North America and Europe since his 2006, GRAMMY nominated album 'People Gonna Talk' put him on the map. That album took him from being "one of the best voices, and best kept secrets, in British R'n'B and Soul," as Van Morrison put it, to a major breakout success of 2006. He opened for Etta James, Boz Scaggs, Los Lonely Boys, and Aretha Franklin; reached #1 on Billboard's Blues chart; and made several national television appearances. 'People Gonna Talk; earned him critical acclaim as well, with Rolling Stone calling it "a treat not to miss" and USA Today raving about his "sublime soul."



James Hunter will be touring as follows:

Jun-07
Sat
Roscoe, New York
WJFF Series: Live from Big Twig

Jun-10
Tue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
World Café Live

Jun-11
Wed
New York, New York
Blender Theatre

Jun-14
Sat
St Louis, MO
Fox Theatre

Jun-17
Tue
Kettering, OH
Fraze Pavilion

Jun-19
Thu
Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor Summer Festival

Jun-20
Fri
Highland Park, IL
Ravinia

Jun-24
Tue
Toronto, ON
Toronto Jazz Festival

Jun-26
Thu
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota Zoo

Jun-27
Fri
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Stir Summer Concert Series

Jun-28
Sat
Milwaukee, WI
Summerfest

Jul-01
Tue
Los Angeles, California
Troubadour

Jul-04
Fri
Quincy, California
High Sierra Music Festival

Jul-05
Sat
Quincy, CA
High Sierra Music Festival

Jul-06
Sun
Portland, Oregon
Waterfront Blues Festival

Jul-08
Tue
Seattle, WA
Triple Door

Jul-11
Fri
San Francisco, CA
Bimbo' 365 Club

Jul-12
Sat
Santa Barbara
Lobero Theater

Jul-16
Wed
Austin, TX
Antone's