Seasoned Soul group The James Hunter Six to come to Colorado Springs
If “soul-searching” is on your summer bucket list this year, look no further than R&B and soul group The James Hunter Six at the Black Sheep on Friday.
Hunter didn’t remember if he’d performed in Colorado Springs before, but his wife, Jesse, did.
“If somebody asks me a grown-up question, I immediately defer to her on it,” Hunter said. “She says we’ve been there, so I guess we have.”
Hunter is on a summer tour with his band, Daptone Records’ The James Hunter Six, for 21 shows in four weeks across the states. Show attendees will enter not only their local concert venue, but also a time warp back to ’50s soul and classic rock ‘n’ roll.
One of the group’s most famous tracks is also one of Hunter’s favorites to perform: “Whatever It Takes,” the title track of their 2018 album.
“I wrote ‘Whatever It Takes’ for Jesse when I was on tour in France,” Hunter said. “We were trying to get her residency and she was running up against all kinds of red tape. It was a real pain, so I just wrote this encouraging song about whatever it takes, you know. We’ll bet our way through this.”
Although their sound might be vintage, The James Hunter Six is with the times.
By 2006, Hunter’s first solo record “People Gonna Talk” was nominated for a Grammy for best traditional blues album as well as best new/emerging artist by the American Music Awards. There’s no conscious attempt to sound “retro;” Hunter just happens to be what Mojo Magazine called “The United Kingdom’s Greatest Soul Singer.”
Hailing from Colchester, England, Hunter left school at 16 and became a busker on the streets of London before becoming a proper performer. A leap, skip and a jump later, he ended up touring in the ’90s with Van Morrison and the two collaborated on a few early projects.
In his years of touring since, one thing is consistent: the inconsistency of venues.
“Atmosphere is interesting … sometimes people put out too many chairs,” Hunter said.
“Let’s save some room for dancing. Sometimes we’ve done some gigs and we walk in and it looks like a corporate conference — right up to expecting people to have clipboards. You can see a lot of the time when you walk in what kind of place you’re going to get.”
When he’s not on stage, Hunter can be found in theaters watching movies with Jesse. And to a keen listener, the cinematic references are tucked in tracks like the original version of “Whatever It Takes” which he sculpted around a Robert Ryan film, or “This Is Where We Come In,” referencing what it’s like to enter a film halfway through.
“Most people still write songs about waiting by the telephone,” Hunter said. “Nobody writes about getting their mobile out of their pocket. Old imagery is the best, and I’ve got a very nostalgic connection with cinema. I’ve always been in love with it.”
Now with over three decades in the music industry under his belt, nine released records (solo and with his band), and a found sonic home with a trusted label, Hunter wouldn’t change a thing.
“I mean I’d probably would’ve told my younger self to get old quickly,” Hunter said.
“Mellow a bit, you know, because as you get older, you get to be more like the person you should have been in the first place. Who’d I steal that from? Bowie, I think. I probably would’ve told myself to calm down, but I know I wouldn’t have listened.”
What: The James Hunter Six
When: July 14
Where: The Black Sheep
Price: $24, https://www.ticketweb.com/event/-the-james-hunter-six-black-sheep-tickets/13198408?pl=blacksheep&REFID=clientsitewp
The James Hunter Six will perform Friday at the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs.
The James Hunter Six will perform at the Black Jeep on July 14. Photo credit: Courtesy, Jessie Perez Huntsman
The James Hunter Six will perform at the Black Sheep on July 14. Left to right: Michael Buckley, Victor Axelrod, Myles Weeks, Rudy Petschauer, Freddy DeBoe, James Hunter. Photo credit: Courtesy, Jessie Perez Huntsman
