Charlie Hunter Quartet

August 1 - 8, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

**1/2 Charlie Hunter Quartet

READY . . .SET . . . SHANGO!

(Blue Note)
A couple albums down the road, young San Francisco guitarist Hunter has become familiar. There's his freakish ability to use his eight-string ax to provide tasteful bass lines simultaneously with his multitextured chording and leads. Sometimes his chording tone conjures Hammond B-3 organ, and that makes the connection with the guitar-organ tradition complete -- all in one guy! He and his band are true groove masters. For envelope-pushing young guys who are as likely to cover Kurt Cobain as Thelonious Monk, they're extremely tasteful -- almost too tasteful. The writing for the new two-sax line-up is tight and cleverly voiced and leaves room for attractive horn interplay. But just once I'd like to see them drop the funk beats and medium grooves, drive into high-speed straight time, and burn, get rude -- maybe even fuck up a little.
-- Jon Garelick

(The Charlie Hunter Quartet opens for Tracy Chapman at Harborlights this Sunday, August 4.)