The
true mark of an artist is his willingness to creatively surge into new
territory. Throughout his career, Charlie Hunter has avoided pitfalls
of predictability by bringing new ideas to the table and seeking out new
cohorts to collaborate with. The eight-string guitarist-bandleader recorded
his first Blue Note album, Bing, Bing, Bing! with a tenor saxophone-drum
trio, then added an alto saxophone to the mix for his next two recordings,
Ready, Set...Shango! and the Bob Marley cover project Natty Dread. He
threw a curveball last year with Return of the Candyman when he retired
the horn section and enlisted vibes player Stefon Harris and percussionist
John Santos to join him and longtime drummer Scott Amendola in a new quartet
called Pound for Pound. For his latest outing, Hunter once again pulls
off a remarkable change of pace by linking up with extraordinary drummer
Leon parker for Duo, a superb collection of ten tunes that run the jazzy
gamut from bluesy shuffles and deep-grooved funk to hushed balladry and
straight ahead romanticism.
Blue Note
Records (1999) |
