Surfacing

Each week the spotlight is on musicians making a commercial breakthrough.

“On the Jungle Floor”

Van Hunt

CapitolArtist info: Hunt’s second record was released April 4 and reveals that he is taking a few pages -- no, maybe several chapters -- out of the Prince book of musical aesthetics. His Purple Majesty would be proud of the way Hunt plunders the realm of neo-soul with an electric guitar strapped over his shoulder. Some tracks on the new album incorporate enough distortion, wah-wah and flanging to qualify as bona fide psychedelic rock. But he also hews closely to tradition by incorporating string arrangements straight from Curtis Mayfield and popping clavinets a la Stevie Wonder or Sly Stone. Samples are refreshingly absent. The album is produced by Bill Bottrell, who has performed a similar function for Madonna, Sheryl Crow and Michael Jackson.

Back story: Hunt was born in Dayton, Ohio, and received his true musical education from that fertile spawning ground, which has given the world Bootsy Collins, the Ohio Players and the Isley Brothers. Hunt moved to Atlanta for college and began writing for and producing other artists. He was encouraged to move forward on his own by a pre-”American Idol” Randy Jackson, who eventually became his manager. Jackson brought him to Capitol, and Hunt’s first album was released in 2004 and earned a Grammy nomination. He is currently on tour with Anthony Hamilton and Heather Headley.

Influences: Prince, Sly Stone, David Bowie

Trivia: He once sang KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It)” with Kelis for a holiday Gap commercial.