He's definitely not a "smaller artist," but you'd probably enjoy Raphael Saadiq, especially his album [The Way I See It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9QH71YKQw).
Black Pumas.
(and he's unfortunately not contemporary anymore because he passed away but Charles Bradley's cover of Changes is, you know, life-changing)
Leon Bridges for sure should be up your alley. Also The Teskey Brothers, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and the late Charles Bradley.
Was going to mention Teskey Brothers. Singer sounds like he’s channeling Otis Redding.
He's definitely not a "smaller artist," but you'd probably enjoy Raphael Saadiq, especially his album [The Way I See It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9QH71YKQw).
Black Pumas https://youtu.be/2EntxPIULUI?si=J0UQvdBHTNuCH-_f
Black Pumas. (and he's unfortunately not contemporary anymore because he passed away but Charles Bradley's cover of Changes is, you know, life-changing)