Customer Reviews

Right Now Move

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charlie Hunter's a hard guy to pin down. Sometimes going for the minimalist funk route (his duo outing with Leon Parker), the world music approach (his Bob Marley cover album), and the funk-vocal move (his last), he hasn't always been 100% successful. What he's lost in precision and focus, he's gained in breadth of presentation, and when it all comes together optimally, as it does on Right Now Move, the results are nothing short of spectacular.

This is by far Charlie Hunter's finest album to date. It combines a glorious loose-limbed ease with some (for Hunter) toughness that has sometimes been lacking in the past. The addition of Curtis Fowlkes on trombone and Gregorire Maret on chromatic harmonic add a needed blooziness and grit to the basic jazz/funk proceedings.

There's also a wonderful world-music sensibility to several of the cuts--Latin on "Changui," South African on the classic Hugh Masekela vehicle, "Wade in the Water," and West African on "Mali." These cuts don't necessarily reproduce typical musical moves associated with their world regions as much as they slyly evoke their sensibilities. This is especially true of "Mali," which sounds authentically West African with little actual playing in a Malian mode.

Special mention should be made of John Ellis. He's grown tremendously as a player, especially on bass clarinet. Check out his work on "Le Bateau Irve," where his timbre and fluid playing set the tone for one of the more memorable tunes on the album. But it's all good; no slackers, not let-ups. A continuation of some very fine jazz releases in the first part of 2003.

Wow! Charlie Hunter just gets better with each release he puts out. His unique playing (playing an instrument that is half guitar and half bass can be characterized as nothing more than unique) is kicked up another notch here. It sounds like Hunter has gained confidence since his "Songs from the Analog Playground" release last year. The songs are upbeat, and his playing has a little more edge to it, a little more pizzazz. Hunter has always been a great guitarist, but if he keeps going the direction he's headed in, he'll be a giant.

Hunter's style of music is to mix bass and guitar at the same time. This is easily heard in the opening of "Try". There are some incredible finger gymnastics going on to play eight strings like he does. But the song doesn't focus on Hunter for very long. In jump the horns and this song is off and running. You can tell just from the sound of the music, that these boys were having fun cutting this tune. It's all through the album. Hunter's solo on "Whoop-Ass" is exactly that, showing what an accomplished musician he is. John Ellis' own solo is out there as well. "Changui" is a Latin-sounding song with another great solo from Ellis. Listen to Hunter's guitar under that solo, it sounds almost like steel-drums. Curtis Fowlkes gets a few minutes to shine as well. His trombone solo in "Freak Fest" is great. Not often you hear a trombone take the spotlight, but Fowlkes does a great job. Fowlkes puts a mute in the bell, and belts out another solo in "Wade In the Water", right after an incredible solo shot by Hunter. Check out his bluesy outro on that song. Derrek Phillips on drums puts an amazing performance on throughout the whole album. He is rock solid and scary. Gregoire Maret steps in with harmonica on most of the tracks. He has a sound reminiscent of Toots Thelonious.

Hunter and the boys turn out a great performance on "Right Now Move". I think Hunter is starting to reach out and experiment more with his sound. I've always been impressed with his stuff, but I don't think never as nearly impressed I am with this release. He's been playing with his band for the last few years. Whatever he was looking for, I think he found a winner with this Quintet. This is a solid album from everyone in the band. It is truly a group effort and a must have for Hunter and jazz fans alike.

Wow! Charlie Hunter just gets better with each release he puts out. His unique playing (playing an instrument that is half guitar and half bass can be characterized as nothing more than unique) is kicked up another notch here. It sounds like Hunter has gained confidence since his "Songs from the Analog Playground" release last year. The songs are upbeat, and his playing has a little more edge to it, a little more pizzazz. Hunter has always been a great guitarist, but if he keeps going the direction he's headed in, he'll be a giant.

Hunter's style of music is to mix bass and guitar at the same time. This is easily heard in the opening of "Try". There are some incredible finger gymnastics going on to play eight strings like he does. But the song doesn't focus on Hunter for very long. In jump the horns and this song is off and running. You can tell just from the sound of the music, that these boys were having fun cutting this tune. It's all through the album. Hunter's solo on "Whoop-Ass" is exactly that, showing what an accomplished musician he is. John Ellis' own solo is out there as well. "Changui" is a Latin-sounding song with another great solo from Ellis. Listen to Hunter's guitar under that solo, it sounds almost like steel-drums. Curtis Fowlkes gets a few minutes to shine as well. His trombone solo in "Freak Fest" is great. Not often you hear a trombone take the spotlight, but Fowlkes does a great job. Fowlkes puts a mute in the bell, and belts out another solo in "Wade In the Water", right after an incredible solo shot by Hunter. Check out his bluesy outro on that song. Derrek Phillips on drums puts an amazing performance on throughout the whole album. He is rock solid and scary. Gregoire Maret steps in with harmonica on most of the tracks. He has a sound reminiscent of Toots Thelonious.

Hunter and the boys turn out a great performance on "Right Now Move". I think Hunter is starting to reach out and experiment more with his sound. I've always been impressed with his stuff, but I don't think never as nearly impressed I am with this release. He's been playing with his band for the last few years. Whatever he was looking for, I think he found a winner with this Quintet. This is a solid album from everyone in the band. It is truly a group effort and a must have for Hunter and jazz fans alike.

Give him credit for trying different sounds on most of his albums. It's a bit of a copy of Medeski Martin and Wood or John Scofield, but it's still pretty good. There's a lot of harmonica, so be forewarned. It's not your usual blues style, however. It's more Toots Thielmann.

I've had this album for quite a while now, and I thought that with repeated listens it would grow on me, that the grating fingers-on-blackboard effect the sound of that chromatic harmonica produces would gradually fade. But no, it still wrecks the album for me. I do like "Oakland", and I think the rest of the album would be good if I could ask my CD player to filter out the harmonica.

To me Hunter peaked with Charlie Hunter, Duo, and Analog Playground -- the Blue Notes.

Friends Seen and Unseen was a step back in the right direction. Right Now Move was unfortunate...