James Hunter Featured On 'The Harlem Experiment' Out On Oct. 30, 2007

NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Ropeadope Records) - 'The Harlem Experiment,' due out this Tuesday on Ropeadope, is a musical experiment, helmed by Grammy-winning producer Aaron Levinson. Comprised of 15 songs, hand-picked for their unique connection to the world's coolest 'hood and performed by the Harlem House Band with special guests, 'The Harlem Experiment' perfectly captures the sounds of the city.

Among the many special guests, which include Taj Mahal, Queen Esther and Olu Dara, is British soul sensation James Hunter, tapped to record his interpretation of "A Rose In Spanish Harlem." One of Hunter's biggest and earliest fans is Van Morrison, while critics from Rolling Stone and the LA Times have referred to him as "a treat not to miss" and "extraordinary."

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.

The third installment in Ropeadope's critically acclaimed "city experiment" series, 'The Harlem Experiment' is an ode to Harlem's rainbow of roots, from Spanish Harlem to 125th Street to the Yiddish enclaves of the early 20th century. Past "experiments" took place in Philadelphia and Detroit and feature ?uestlove Thompson, Christian McBride and Regina Carter.