Charlie Hunter's
time and place are here and now. With his unique
instrument, an eight-string bass/guitar combination
of his own design, Hunter has established himself
as one of the most tasteful and innovative bandleaders
in music. Now, with Songs from the Analog Playground,
Hunter has for the first time brought vocalists
and a road-tested instrumental ensemble into the
mix. The result is his most cohesive and accessible
effort yet.
The
four singers who contribute to Songs from the
Analog Playground include Theryl de Clouet
from New Orleans jazz-funk band Galactic
and rapper Mos Def, as well as Hunter's
Blue Note labelmates Kurt Elling and Norah
Jones. Says Hunter of his decision to bring
vocals into the studio, "That's the kind of music
I was brought up on. As a street musician that's
all you played, because if you played instrumental
music you really went broke."
De
Clouet was called into the studio with Hunter
and his band in New York from a Philadelphia tour
stop. His vocals on the buoyant Earth, Wind and
Fire cover "Mighty
Mighty" are gruff and soulful, adding
a potent edge to the Charlie Hunter Quartet's
polished sound. He also sings on the slow, spooky
rendition of the Willie Dixon-penned standard
"Spoonful."
Norah
Jones was called in after Hunter heard her demo
CD (the same demo CD that resulted in the recent
signing of the young singer to Blue Note), and
as Hunter says, "She came into the studio and
kicked butt." Jones' breathy alto graces two of
the more unexpected cover tunes on Songs from
the Analog Playground: Roxy Music's "More
Than This" and the show-stealing closer, Nick
Drake's "Day
Is Done."
Hunter
intended for Mos Def to lay down some rhymes,
and instead the rapper transformed himself into
a tender soul singer on "Creole"
(for which Hunter wrote the music and Mos Def
wrote the lyrics). He also recorded the rap for
the album opener, the Latin percussion vamp "Street
Sounds."
Kurt
Elling, a friend of Hunter's and noted jazz singer,
recorded his vocals after the instrumental tracks
for the original song "Desert Way" and
the standard "Close Your Eyes" were laid
down-the only overdubs on the record.
Hunter
describes his synthesis of jazz, fusion, funk,
blues and rock as simply "rhythm music," and he
and his band-saxophonist John
Ellis, drummer Stephen
Chopek and percussionist Chris
Lovejoy-live up to the title from the
opening moments of Songs from the Analog Playground.
The quartet has been together for over a year,
and has played over 200 shows in that time - par
for the course for the road-warrior Hunter. On
previous albums, the guitarist assembled his groups
just before entering the studio; this time, his
road-tested band brought a practiced chemistry
to the recording process. "Our whole thing just
lives and dies by the band's playing together,"
Hunter says. "Really, the sum is more than its
parts."
Hunter,
Ellis, Chopek and Lovejoy provide lush backup
for the four singers on Songs from the Analog
Playground, but they really shine on the album's
five instrumental tracks. With ample room to stretch
their legs, the quartet has a soothing melodic
to balance its rhythmic virtuosity. The nimble
syncopation of "Rhythm Music Rides Again"
and the spacious groove of "Percussion Shuffle"
provide a launching pad for Chopek and Lovejoy
to strut their stuff, showing why Hunter praises
their ability to work in tandem as a fluid percussion
machine. "Run
For It" and the enigmatically titled "Mitch
Better Have My Bunny" let Hunter and Ellis
take the lead with graceful melodic runs and stirring
solos. Hunter performs the short-but-sweet "Sunday
Morning" by himself, displaying his remarkable
ability to play guitar and bass parts simultaneously
on his guitar.
Songs
from the Analog Playground is the latest high
point of Charlie Hunter's career, and the album
is a whole new sonic terrain for a musician who
just keeps getting better with time. Armed with
some of the world's best vocal chords and a veritable
freight train of percussion mastery, Hunter is
progressing at an alarming rate and bringing a
lot of eager listeners along for the ride. "I'm
just trying to play music in the post-music era,"
Hunter says. "Everyone says that this is a bad
time for music, and I totally agree, especially
as far as popular music goes. But that's great-It
just means it's more of a challenge for us to
make something happen."
|
