Different Strokes for Different Folks cover

SideHustle Records

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Charlie Hunter & Ella Feingold

Different Strokes for Different Folks marks a full-circle moment for Ella Feingold, who first saw Charlie Hunter performing with Leon Parker at the Regatta Bar in the late '90s. She never imagined that decades later, she'd be playing and recording alongside him as both a peer and a friend. Today, Hunter describes her as “one of the baddest, greasiest guitar players on the planet.”

This exploratory duo project is a deep dive into the art of musical conversation. Built on a foundation of rhythm, space, and groove, Hunter and Feingold engage in a fluid, improvisational exchange, pushing beyond conventional structures to create something raw, immediate, and deeply immersive. Their interplay unfolds like a dialogue—organic, unpredictable, and rich with nuance—where silence holds as much weight as sound.

At its core, Different Strokes for Different Folks is an exploration of time and texture, where funk meets minimalism and melody meets motion. Rooted in jazz, soul, and ambient influences, the project embraces both synchronicity and divergence, allowing each moment to breathe and evolve naturally.

  • It's music that's complex but never complicated.
  • It's music for rolling the windows down and cruising.
  • It's music that makes your neck sore.
  • It's music to get lost in and let your mind wander.
  • It's music to sing over.
  • It's music that makes you want to pick up your instrument and play along.
  • It's music that takes its time.
  • It's a musical conversation between two friends, captured over four days.
  • It's minimalist funk.
“It's SO good. I love it so much. I knew I would.”
— Bill Frisell
“This is nuts, yikes! So funky.”
— Raphael Saadiq
“Ella, the album is nasty. A masterclass. So refreshing.”
— Lenny Kravitz
“It's totally great that the sound is so naked and 'raw' because you both have such nice touch.”
— Johnny Marr
“Ella and Charlie are in a beautiful conversation—one I hope they continue.”
— Meshell Ndegeocello
“It's a record that's earnestly old-school by way of a simple approach: capturing a live-off-the-floor two-way conversation between singular instrumentalists.”
— Nick Millevoi, Premier Guitar ↗
  • Recording session in a converted church studioPhoto: Soren Smedvig
  • Ella Feingold and Charlie Hunter, all smilesPhoto: Ella Feingold
  • Two guitars resting on a studio floorPhoto: Ella Feingold
  • View from the control room into the live roomPhoto: Soren Smedvig

Press assets

Back cover with tracklist and tunings
Back cover