'MISTICO' CD REVIEW

After three wildly improvisational Groundtruther CDs with drummer Bobby Previte, Charlie Hunter emerges a changed man on “Mistico,” his debut on Concord’s resuscitated Fantasy imprint. The guitar/bass wiz returns to the trio setting of his early-’90s beginnings, and an ax with seven strings in lieu of eight. But this time, a keyboardist (Erik Deutsch mans piano, Fender Rhodes and CasioTone) is onboard along with drummer Simon Lott, and the tone is decidedly rocking, with no trace of Joe Pass within earshot. Hunter’s guitar tone is gnarled, gritty and edgy, all within the bluesy groove vein he’s consistently delivered. Though the session exudes lo-fi nonchalance, new compositional shape-shifting sparks in such tunes as “Speakers Built It” and “Spoken Word.” Blues and funk play significant roles, but thankfully Hunter delivers a slow tune, simply titled “Ballad,” that spotlights his most overlooked trait. Recommended highly.