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Charlie Hunter - Charlie Hunter
(EMD/Blue Note)
Innovation is a major catalyst for change. The notion that an individual can take what he knows and create something new and unique is the life-blood of art. Without this concept, the motivation for expression would be stifled by the skill of mimicry. Flowing through the vein of progress that stems from the invention of jazz music comes the latest echelon in improvisational groove guitar: Charlie Hunter and his inimitable eight-string axe. After several stellar projects that made him one of the most valuable current members of the legendary Blue Note Records lineup, Hunter returns with the self-titled album, Charlie Hunter.
One cannot help but notice the signature sound that Charlie Hunter has created by simultaneously playing both bass and guitar lines. His reunion with drummer Leon Parker and the new tenor sax and trombone voices of Peter Apfelbaum and Josh Roseman mark the next step in the evolution of Hunter's style, a sound more complete and mature than that of his previous effort. With additional percussion added by two students of Parker, this project finds its niche somewhere in the midst of Latin jazz, funk, and the early solo work of Joe Pass.
Mellow percussion, beautiful horn harmonies, controlled yet never understated bass lines, and melodic riffs of unorthodox but digestible phrasing all collide with such smooth accord that the complex is made accessible. Basically, the album is incredible. A veritable kaleidoscope, the record draws from so many influences that it seemingly draws from none. The resulting sound is uniquely Charlie Hunter, and Charlie Hunter is the sound of both past and future generations. While pop-up trend-setters come and go, true innovators grow and change. These artists take the stick and run with it, and teach us that sometimes our own originality is enough to open new doors.
by Damani
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