James Hunter Six perform Here and Now on CBS Saturday Sessions

James Hunter Six used CBS Saturday Sessions to put “Here And Now” at the center of a three-song set that also included “A Sure Thing” and “Gun Shy.” The playlist framing turned the appearance into more than a single-song performance, giving Hunter’s brand of rhythm and soul a broad television showcase at a time when streamed music often rewards immediacy over craft.

Hunter, a British singer-songwriter from Sheffield, has built that case for decades. His official biography describes him as a Grammy-nominated artist with a gritty voice and strong songwriting instincts, and it notes the recognition that came in 2006 with a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album for “People Gonna Talk” and an Americana Music Award nomination for Best New/Emerging Artist. The James Hunter Six, the bio says, has been a fixture in rhythm and soul for more than three decades.

That longevity is part of what separates revival from nostalgia. Hunter does not present old forms as museum pieces. He sings like a working bandleader with a back catalog of club dates, not a stylist borrowing a period look. The CBS session reinforced that approach by pairing the title track with two other songs from the same performance, a sign that the material is designed to hold up across a full set, not just a single clip.

Easy Eye Sound says the group’s then-new album, “Off The Fence,” marks 40 years since Hunter’s recording debut and contains twelve self-penned songs. The label also points to a rare duet with longtime collaborator Van Morrison on “Ain’t That A Trip,” a detail that places Hunter in a lineage of writers and singers who have kept classic R&B forms alive without treating them as frozen in time. His official site says the group’s return on the label brings another dose of rhythm and soul.

That combination of new material, long memory and live performance helps explain why Hunter still finds room alongside younger acts in the streaming era. “Here And Now” is not framed as a throwback novelty. It is presented as current work from a singer whose career has stretched from his recording debut to a 40-year milestone, with the CBS stage giving the music the same directness that made early rhythm-and-blues records last.