Customer Reviews

Bing! Bing! Bing!

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This is one of those smokin albums, so full of detail and expression that you have to listen to again and again to gain every innuendo, every element and to truly understand the meaning of what the players are doing.

I dunno if I dig this album being stuck in "acid jazz"; I kinda agree more with Charlie Hunter himself who has resisted that category by labelling his style "antacid jazz". Whatever, for me personally Hunter and his various troupes over time have built the bridge for me to escape the single-minded torments of pop and rock to enter the exciting, vivacious, ever-changing realm of modern jazz.

Groovy to the max, funky out the door, always exciting and always involving, Charlie Hunter and his gang are the peak of modern jazz for young-minded folks. Hell, you know that if the young folks are buggin the old fogies, them be the young folks to hang with. Isn't it ironic then that Hunter and buddies tend to worship the work of the old school (Colemen, Mingus, et al.)?

This album in particular is a tremendous example of the Hunter groove. Rawer than some of the newer albums, and less produced, it has some great loose moments and some amazing horn work from Dave Ellis. Make sure you sit down for this one; otherwise you may find yourself shakin that booty in ways you never imagined you could.

I picked up this album after reading numerous reviews, labeling Charlie Hunter as the most innovative jazz guitarist imerging in recent years. The first time I listened, I enjoyed it and could appreciate the groove, it sounded like a decent quartet. But then I remembered, Charlie Hunter is the 8-string master and was simultaneously playing the addictive bass lines, as well as churning the organ sounding chord changes. With the melodic stylings of tenor, Dave Ellis, I immediately became a huge Charlie Hunter fan. With every listen, one will pick up on the intricate nuances of Hunter's style. A must have for a any guitar player or jazz head.

This was my intro to Charlie Hunter and I have to admit it took some time to grow on me. Yeah, Charlie is great, enough can't be said about him. But to me the highlight if this cd is Dave Ellis on Sax. Ties in with Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderly. And Jay Lane! Where did you come from my man? As far as I'm concerned, this trio could have stayed together for a lifetime.

If you haven't yet experienced the "Hunter touch", get ready. If Charlie and his trio don't get your toes tappin nothing will. His very eclectic and unique guitar/bass playing is phenomenal as his thumb grooves through the rhythms underneath a wonderous array of strumming. Support is good from Jay Lane, whose straight-forward approach to drumming, is not to be overshadowed by the oh-so-familiar "overabundance" common in today's pop music. Provides for a smooth entry into the funk/jazz arena.

Year after year, this CD finds a place in the household rotation. Sad to say, but that's not the case for the other C. Hunter CDs we own. This one grooves and moves, and yet it settles all around with a supreme subtlety. It's Charlie Hunter's one bottom line statement that he belongs. It's not quite at that level of must have/essential CD, but it offers hope that one day Charlie will deliver on his exceptional promise. And it's an incredibly solid outing, worthy of praise and many reissues down the road.

Charlie and the boys really make it happen on this one. The grooves get better and better with more listens.. His version of epistrophy is great as well. A must for any Charlie fan.

dope disc. this was my first experience with mr. hunter, and it made me buy up all his discs. smells like teen spirit is hit or miss... i dig it, but a lot of folks think it's lame. musician friends like it, non usually don't.

hunter's second release, and his first for blue note, has him mellowing out a little and focusing more on mainstream jazz. with the same lineup as his initial release, hunter, dave ellis and jay lane mix it up on instrumental selections ranging from funk, jazz, post bop and even a hybrid of jazz and rock. hunter's playing is as top notch as always, both as the soloist and when he is backing up ellis in an organ-like fashion. similarly, ellis' solos are creative and excellent. he blows the instrument hard, but never honks it and always stays in step with rest of the music. jay lane keeps the music steady and shines on certain tracks, especially "bullethead". the group seem comfortable with one another and it shines through the music.

This CD is a hype statement of the best of acid-jazz. Its (not use yet again the almost cliche phrase) use of funk, with incredibly thoughtful arrangements, and stellar instrumentation just flat out grooves. I guess I can rant and rave because its hard to imagine that one man is playing a thoroughly melodic and chordal guitar arrangement (which one associates with jazz), while also is bopping out the bass lines simultaneously!!! That blows my mind and that is what Charlie Hunter does. I often listen to it and wonder "does this really groove?" or "am I just enamored with the novelty of dual-simultaneous instrumentalist?" I encourage you to answer this question for yourself.

Charlie Hunter is a talented guitarist who specializes in the field of eight string electric guitar playing. He usually records in the trio format as you see here.

What I like most about Charlie Hunter is funk influenced songs. And as I started to play this disk, I thought it would be a funky album.

As I got near the end, Charlie was swinging most of the tunes. I hadn't really heard Charlie Hunter swing before, so it was a surprise.

This is modern fresh jazz. I'm a big Charlie Hunter fan, and this album is great. It's modeled after a classic blue note album cover, and the material is great.

Recommended to modern jazz lovers.