James Hunter on The Harlem Experiment; 21 Van Morrison Songs

When I wrote my review of The Harlem Experiment, I didn’t have the liner notes. I was impressed with “A Rose In Spanish Harlem.” Now I know whom to praise: British soul singer James Hunter. From a press release I received:

“You might be wondering what a soul singer from England has to do with a song dedicated to Harlem – but that’s the point. Producer Aaron Levinson cites Hunter as being one of the few musicians singing “classic” soul today and says, “I can hear Harlem in Hunter’s voice.” The result speaks for itself, as James pays respect to soul forefathers with his captivating vocals and old Martin guitar. It’s all part of the experiment.”

I also learned from the press release that one of Hunter’s biggest and earliest fans is Van Morrison. Fans of Van the Man are in for a treat on November 6 when his first ever, cross-label career spanning collection, Still On Top – The Greatest Hits is released. It’s worth mentioning because greatest hits compilations that cover an artist’s entire career, across labels, is rare. On this collection, there are 21 songs from the Decca, Bang, Warner Bros. and Polydor labels. Songs like “Gloria,” “Moondance,” “Domino,” Someone Like You,” “Have I Told You Lately,” “Days Like This,” and “Wild Night” are on there. It covers music from 1964 to 2005 and styles ranging from jazz to rock to soul to hip hop (just kidding about the latter). It’s been recently reaffirmed that Van’s music is good for your love life, making an already enticing CD a must-have.