'MISTICO' CD REVIEW

Ruggedness suits Charlie Hunter, a groove-minded guitarist known for his distinctly ambidextrous technique. On “Mistico,” his first album for the Fantasy label, he rarely reaches for a dazzling run where a juicy riff will do the trick. His main pursuit seems to be the unpretentious logic of a working band and the freedom to do with it what he pleases.

His current partners are Erik Deutsch, on acoustic and Fender Rhodes pianos as well as Casiotone keyboard, and Simon Lott, on drums. Mr. Deutsch is an especially valuable resource here, as a solo commentator and, much more important, an accompanist. On “Special Shirt” he alternates between modish camp and a species of saloon piano, subtly shaping the mood; on “Speakers Built In” he finds real use for some usually ill-advised synthesizer sounds.

As usual Mr. Hunter is a homespun marvel, soloing pithily over his own bass lines and chordal midrange. But his proficiency isn’t intended as the focus. “Mistico” often seems purposeful in its evocation of jam bands like the Benevento-Russo Duo and Medeski, Martin & Wood. So while chin stroking would be one welcome answer to the music, dancing — no matter how gracefully — might be even better.