Charlie Hunter didn't bother naming his latest album, even though he's got a half-dozen or so previous releases, including one called simply The Charlie Hunter Trio. It seems, and rightly so, that Hunter doesn't feel words aptly convey the big ideas he's aiming at in his new and spicy jazz explorations. Indeed, Hunter and his playing need few descriptives; he's honestly becoming one of the scene's most inspired young bandleaders and guitarists, with a sense of adventure that finds him unafraid to grab hold of bold new ideas.
Charlie Hunter, featuring Hunter on eight-string, Leon Parker on percussion, and Peter Apfelbaum on tenor, is a virtual blueprint of new jazz. "Al Green" features Hunter and the talented Parker in a spare, sultry duet, as do the Latin-flecked "Epistrophy" and "Dersu (Slight Return)," which have Hunter managing both guitar and bass line chores on his eight-string. Elsewhere, the stomping "Cloud Splitter" and the percussive "Two For Bleu" center around the handy horn work of Apfelbaum and trombonist Josh Roseman.
The album swings accessibly, from edgy balladry to full-on acid jams, spearheaded by an ever more confident Hunter as he leads his spirited corps into the surprising, jubilant margins of mainstream jazz. So what if he doesn't bother naming it? He could've just called it Excellent.
All recordings courtesy of Blue Note Records. All songs written by C. Hunter; courtesy of CHT Publishing (ASCAP).
