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Charlie Hunter: Not Getting Behind is the New Getting Ahead
by Doug Collette
Charlie Hunter is such an original thinker, composer and musician, that his albums are always interesting. But on this wryly and topically titled project with longtime collaborator and kindred spirit drummer Scott Amendola, the seven-string guitarist outdoes himself.With a rustling flourish from Amendola's kit, the duo slips right into a groove on the languorous, blues-derived “Assessing the Assessors, An Assessor's Assessment." The history of the duo dates back to the 1995 formation of unsung jazz-fusion quartet TJ Kirk ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Hunter: Roots, Hard Work & Inspiration
by Doug Collette
A self-proclaimed boutique artist, guitarist Charlie Hunter could not be more proud of his work or the audience that enjoys it. He is ultimately modest about his achievements, such as they are, emphasizing the work he's put in over the years in a variety of formats, honing a craft he honestly and rightly believes represents his own unique voice on a very unique instrument: the seven-string guitar.Charlie Hunter used an eight-string instrument for a number of years, though, ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Hunter: Burlington, Vermont, April 24, 2011
by Doug Collette
Charlie Hunter with Erik KalbClub MetronomeBurlington, VTApril 24, 2011 The last time guitarist nonpareil Charlie Hunter came to the greater Burlington area, drummer Erik Kalb also accompanied him--so this recent show was one of the few instances of the idiosyncratic guitarist repeating himself in his last ten years of appearances in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Nevertheless, it was perfectly acceptable to find the duo set up on the tiny stage ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Hunter: Public Domain
by John Kelman
There's no particular insight in the suggestion that most musicians lay their musical lives bare through their recorded work: near-instantaneous, fully formed leaps into greatness for some; more gradual upwards curves for others; and for all, even the occasional misstep. Still, there are times when it seems as though a little discretion would go a long way. Amongst endless reissues fattened out with often superfluous bonus material and new releases from promising young artists not yet ready to make the ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Hunter: Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid
by John Kelman
As ever, 7-string guitarist Charlie Hunter can be counted on to shake things up every couple of discs. After two trio sets with keyboardist Erik Deutsch, Hunter returns to the horn-driven breadth of Right Now Move (Ropeadope, 2003). On Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid, however, Hunter trades Right Now's unorthodox harmonica/sax/trombone frontline for the equally unusual line-up of two trombones and trumpet. But more than just the line-up has changed.
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Charlie Hunter: Seven-String Samurai
by Douglas Wright
Jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter is not a musician who's comfortable resting on his laurels. With nearly twenty albums under his belt and no sign of stopping in sight, Hunter continues to wow audiences with the wizardry of his seven-string guitar technique, by which he lays down bass grooves and simultaneously wings guitar solos along the frets with flawless finesse. This has earned him a reputation as an intrepid musician and an incredible showman who draws packed crowds into jazz clubs ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Hunter: Baboon Strength
by Doug Collette
After a series of major label releases, the last of which was a recording with a new trio, Charlie Hunter makes significant changes for Baboon Strength. The idiosyncratic guitarist's innate joie de vivre remains constant, however, as he decides to release the album independently and, prior to that, recruits a new drummer.
Tony Mason actually commences the album on "Athens" with a heavy downbeat that is his calling card--predecessor Simon Lott, who appeared on Mistico (Fantasy ... Continue Reading
