The
James Hunter Six, arguably the finest soul-blues band in the U.K, finally get compilation treatment. They issued five acclaimed studio albums (under
Hunter's name) between 1996 and 2008 for an assortment of labels. Since 2013, they've released another four with
Daptone as the
James Hunter Six. That said, the label throws a curve in
With Love. This compilation focuses on
Hunter's self-penned love songs and ballads.
JH6 record lean and mean, often live in studio with only eight tracks and few overdubs. It gives their records a warm vintage sound. But
Hunter is no mere revivalist; musically and lyrically he is from the era his music celebrates.
Opener "Something's Calling" is one of two selections drawn from 2016's
Hold On (the other is the glorious, calypso-tinged soul tune "This Is Where We Came In").
Hunter directly evokes the influence of
Chuck Jackson's uptown soul during the mid-'60s with his emotionally wrenching yet silky, slow-burn vocal. "I Don't Wanna Be Without You" was the opener on 2018's
Whatever It Takes. It employs a steamy rumba rhythm amid lithe, bumping horns, reverbed Telecaster, sultry horns, and simmering organ carrying
Hunter's tough, tender croon. (
Hunter is the only male singer able to approach the level of
Dion.) Also from that album, the jazzy soul number "Mm-Hmm" appears later in the track list, as does that record's fine closer, "It Was Gonna Be You."
"If I Only Knew" dates from 2013's
Minute by Minute, and it's one of the finest ballads in
Hunter's oeuvre. A shuffling rumba is appended by nylon-string guitars, claves, and brushed snares surrounding his rough, honeyed voice. "Carina" is the set's lone outlier; though recorded with
JH6, it was drawn from
Hunter's 2008 pre-
Daptone outing
The Hard Way, and credited only to the bandleader. Its strolling saxophones, calypso-cum-ska rhythm, and layered backing vocal chorus add emotional heft and sensuality to
Hunter's falsetto and moaning delivery. There are also nearly a handful of cuts from 2020's widely acclaimed
Nick of Time. "Who's Fooling Who" is a gorgeous R&B ballad set to a rolling rumba rhythm; it offers a
Hunter croon akin to
Jackie Wilson's. Other tunes from that set are the percussive, slippery, Latinized shuffle "He's Your Could've Been" and the
Lonnie Donegan-
Brenton Wood-influenced soul finger-popper "Take It as You Find It." (One can almost hear
Hunter's former employer
Van Morrison covering it.) It also includes the doo wop-influenced R&B of "Never," a deeply resonant love song, as well as the aching,
Platters-esque celebration of new love "Mm-Hmm."
With Love is presented with the requisite care that
Daptone brings to all of its releases. It presents the
James Hunter Six not as a sweaty, swaggering barroom R&B outfit, but as a late-night soul band for lovers. This fine set serves as an excellent introduction to the band's particular brand of musical magic. ~ Thom Jurek
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