318: “Rust Belt” by Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola

February 26, 2013 Leave a comment

Just the tip, Scott.Practice makes unconscious memory. Not perfection, but astounding results can certainly come with enough practice.

Charlie Hunter perfectly displays virtuosic talent, arrived at through copious amounts of brain conditioning (practice). Charlie’s most recent album, composed of duos with drummer Scott Amendola, showcases his ability to play bass and lead guitar simultaneously about as well as you could expect two separate professional musician brains to accomplish. The album is called Not Getting Behind Is The New Getting Ahead (2012). The Wizard uses a custom-built 8-string guitar, and the entire album was recorded with Charlie and Scott sitting in a room together, sans headphones. Check out “Rust Belt” to see what I mean about astounding results.

Other examples of the results of diligent practice include:

-Buddhist monks’ ability to regulate their body temperature with great control
-breathing Parkourists
-the ability to spin a pen around your fingers
-finding the slowest line at the grocery store
-getting your cat to poop in the toilet
-butter without crumbs on it
-men looking ladies in the eyes while talking to them

Remember to practice patience, love, and keeping the damn crumbs out of the butter. Enjoy.

Song: Rust Belt
Artist: Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola
Album: Not Getting Behind Is The New Getting Ahead
Label: Charlie Hunter Music
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
Listen: Rdio | Spotify | YouTube

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239: “Airstrip One” by Bobby Previte’s Coalition of the Willing

December 1, 2011 Leave a comment

I look 20% more like Draco Malfoy in this light.Bobby Previte is a prolific songwriting jazz drummer. He’s worked with dozens of the highest caliber musicians stardust can spawn. The Coalition of the Willing (active 2006-2007) rotated through several members that included Charlier Hunter, Skerik, Steven Bernstein, Jamie Saft and Robert Walter.

Previte’s songwriting is cinematic and grand, and it seems great musicians enjoy operating in the space he creates.

“Airstrip One” cracks wide open at about the 2:18 mark. Horns come in right at liftoff when the song turns funky.

You gotta be judicious with horns. And laxatives. And blondes. And blondes on laxatives.

Check out Bobby Previte if you get a chance. If you ever see him live, you will see that he works hard for the money. So you go on and treat him right.

Enjoy.

Song: Airstrip One
Artist: Bobby Previte’s Coalition of the Willing
Album: Coalition of the Willing
Label: Ropeadope
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
Listen: MOG | Spotify
Watch: YouTube

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236: “No Woman, No Cry” by Charlie Hunter

November 17, 2011 Leave a comment

Tantalus.I was best friends with an awesome dog who had the relentless spirit of a thousand suns.

He died today, 12 years old, with a tennis ball in his mouth. He had chased it down quite thoroughly, and his heart gave out somewhere very near The Moment When He Snags The Ball And The Universe Is One.

He promptly found the tree he wanted to lay under, and he stopped living in this world.

Pretty solid way to go out.

I’ll miss you, Beck. I promise not to do too much of this crying nonsense that’s happening right now, and wag my ass more like you did all the time.

A song, in memory of Beckett Sardoosky Witherspoon…

Song: No Woman, No Cry
Artist: Charlie Hunter Quartet
Album: Natty Dread
Label: Blue Note
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
Listen: MOG

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125: “Sprung Monkey” by Garage A Trois

December 8, 2010 Leave a comment

Garage A QuartThis funky jazz group, Garage A Trois, was originally composed of Stanton Moore (drums), Skerik (“saxophonics”), and Charlie Hunter (guitar). Mike Dillon (percussion/vibes) is also a part of the mix on this track and album, Emphasizer (2003).

“Sprung Monkey” is worth a listen just for the name!  Enjoy.

Song: Sprung Monkey
Artist: Garage A Trois
Album: Emphasizer
Label: IndiBlu Music
Buy from: Amazon

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23: “Astronaut Love Triangle” by Charlie Hunter

August 5, 2010 Leave a comment

Charlie Hunter Works Hard For The Money, So You Better Treat Him Right.Charlie Hunter is a guitar virtuoso who designed his own 8-string guitar so that he could play bass and lead guitar all with just his own ten fingers.  It’s really amazing to watch him play in person.

I believe he’s at his best when he’s rocking the guitar like he did with The Coalition of the Willing (Bobby Previte, Skerik, Robert Walter, and others) several years ago.  On his own and with his trio, he writes great melodies, and can play so soulfully that he doesn’t need to technically wow crowds to win them over.

He’s recorded with a constantly varying cast of bandmates, but none have had better song-developing chemistry than the trio that recorded Copperopolis (2006), Mistico (2007), and Baboon Strength (2008): Erik Deutsch (keys), Simon Lott (drums), and Charlie.  On this track, “Astronaut Love Triangle” from Baboon Strength, the Charlie Hunter trio have created a song that combines extraterrestrial synthesizer and Charlie’s own version of guitar rock, to create a grooving instrumental parody of the real-life astronaut love triangle that the name seems to reference (remember the astronaut who drove cross-country wearing adult diapers to save time getting to her rival lover? yeah, that astronaut love triangle.).

So don’t hold it in.  I got you covered.  Sit back, put your foot on the gas and enjoy.

Song: Astronaut Love Triangle
Artist: Charlie Hunter
Album: Baboon Strength
Label: reapandsow, inc.
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
Watch: YouTube (live version)

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