Fri. June 6 

English blues and soulman James Hunter came to town last year and we interviewed at his favorite Boston area spot, a homey little place in Arlington. He'd eaten there the previous day, too. See, when Hunter finds something he likes, he sticks with it. Like the kind of blues-soul that he and his band put out on the album "People Gonna Talk" and his concerts. Hunter - nor I - really like the retro tag, but not many people are doing what he does these days. (He likes James Brown and Jackie Wilson.) Hunter, 45 was a laborer for much of his life, so this spurt of musical success comes as a welcome surprise. He certainly hasn't gotten a swollen head about it. He just carries on, taking you back to a time when everything was synthesized, programmed or calculated. He and his band are at the the Paradise tonight Friday June 6. Tift Merritt opens at 9. Tickets are $15.

967 Commonwealth Ave., 617-562-8001 www.thedise.com