Charlie Hunter

I haven't seen Charlie Hunter in awhile so I was looking forward to this Saturday night gig. I've only seen him a few times. I enjoy listening to his albums but watching him live is absolutely amazing. He plays both lead guitar and bass on his custom seven string guitar. This boggles my mind on two levels. First he is playing not one but two different roles usually played by two different people. He is conceptualizing both the lead and the bass as well as where is he going next with each part. Second he is physically playing both roles at the same time on a seven string guitar. He has a separate amp for both his bass strings and his lead strings. He throws down funky bass lines while playing sweet rhythm or lead parts at the same time on different strings. It sounds like two different people playing the parts separately. You can't imagine how someone could play both those parts at the same time without seeing it in person. The guy is a mental and physical genius.

Jammin Java wasn't too full. I would assume Charlie Hunter on a Saturday night would be sold out. Although with the snow, the fact that he is playing the next night in Baltimore, and the fact that Tea Leaf Green is playing at the 9:30 Club left us with a half empty venue. This allowed Teri and I to walk right up to the stage for the first set. He was touring with a trio. We stood right next to the drummer who was pretty cool. He played left handed and threw down. Charlie's latest album had a few horns on it and he had a respected trombone player round out the trio. We stood just a few feet away while they jammed the whole first set. I could watch him defy the limits of what a normal person can do all day. The three traded off but Charlie of course led the night. There were some great funky grooves. I need to get the album.

One of his amps kicked out some smoke along with a strong burning smell at the end of the first set. Charlie and the trombone player exchanged some glances but they kept on playing. The trombone player kept his eye on the amp for the next song or two but apparently it died. Charlie played through his practice amp for the rest of the show.

We took a break outside between sets. Kept the car clear of snow and warm. For the second set we stood behind the crowd which was quite small. I eventually got a good viewing point about 15 or so feet away. The second set was a lot shorter than the first. The tour showed its small time feel when Charlie sold his own CDs out of a box afterwards. The roads were pretty clear of snow after the show and we got home swiftly. Looking forward to seeing him again.

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