Soul singer/guitarist James Hunter [ tickets ] will celebrate the chart-topping performance of his latest album as he continues his current foray into North America.

The British musician, whose "The Hard Way" sits atop Billboard's Blues Albums chart, will resume his tour schedule tonight (6/24) in Toronto, Ontario with an appearance at the Toronto Jazz Festival.

Hunter will play mostly festivals and headlining appearances during the outing, which runs through a July 16 date in Austin, TX, and includes a June 27 support slot in Council Bluffs, IA, opening for Willie Nelson. Details are below.

Released June 10, "The Hard Way" is Hunter's follow-up to 2006's Grammy-nominated "People Gonna Talk." The disc, which is being sold in Starbucks outlets as well as traditional music retailers, features gust vocals from New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint on three tracks.

The set was produced by Liam Watson and recorded in London in Watson's small personal studio, with Hunter's band performing live takes on the facility's "postage stamp-sized floor," according to Hunter's online bio.

"We played the songs many times--this isn't an album of first takes--but they were complete performances," Hunter said. "Having too much leisure to take things out and put them back in, it can make you a bit complacent. The pressure of recording live was quite exciting rather than daunting."