People Gonna Talk

James Hunter. <i> Rounder/Go.</i>

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It may be star time for James Hunter, whose irresistible third album brings a new sparkle to dusty old styles. A protégé of Van Morrison, with whom he’s shared stages and studios, this affable Briton is a hardcore R&B junkie, yet you don’t need to be an expert on Jackie Wilson or Georgie Fame to feel his smoldering love songs. While Hunter’s crisp grooves offer everything from rubbery ska rhythms to swinging shuffles to chunky, James Brown-inspired raveups, his voice is the main attraction. Like John Hiatt, an equally commanding singer from a different neighborhood, Hunter is a master of controlled intensity, hinting at volcanic reserves of emotion even when crooning in a mellow mode. Playing off his fine band, which features swift drummer Jonathan Lee and a pair of passionate saxophonists, he sounds as though he’s thoroughly enjoying himself.

WE CAME UP SHORT.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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