PARALLEL GUITAR UNIVERSES
By David Fricke

There was a wide world of guitars at Eric Clapton's Crossroads festival in Chicago in July - but not the whole wide world. Altitude (Thirsty Ear), by the duo Groundtruther, is a pair of parallel universes unto itself. On one CD, guitarist Charlie Hunter, Bobby Previte and guest keyboardist John Medeski play miniature pieces of watery, free improvisation. More grounded and thrilling is a second disc on which Hunter - well known for playing a seven-string instrument, not famous enough for what he does with it - rips through the air with superrock fuzz and fusion mettle.