Charlie Hunter Trio - Copperopolis
So a while back I entered a tongue in cheek entry to a New Years Resolution contest at Ropeadope, and by wild luck was one of the winners. Andy at Ropeadope sent me a congratulatory email and said a prize was coming. Then nothing arrived. I was sad, since Ropeadope has always been of high standards of customer care. Then I realized why nothing had arrived...the prize had not been released yet.
Last week a spiffy copy of the fresh out the oven release, Copperopolis, by the Charlie Hunter Trio arrived at my doorstep.
I have to say this is Hunter's best release in years, and possibly his finest hour, period. Chuck seems to have re-discovered distortion and rock n' roll, but what he does with it is 100% his own. Hunter has not given up his jazz gig, but has instead added a level of grit and jam-band bombast that was not as prevalent on his previous albums. But this isn't limited by the jam-band aesthetic of endless, mostly untethered-to-a-point noodling. Hunter is a true jazz muso, and his improvisiational skills are profound, even when he sticks to a back to the basics boogie or blues. This also isn't rawk! but does have some solid riff-mongering in a way that would fit well in a late 60s to mid 70s rock scene (opener Cueball Bobbin' is a great example) . It is open and free-rolling across a mix of New Orleans traditions (funk, R&B and blues), soul jazz, a little psychedelica, and riff rock. While the album is very cohesive, there are different things being offered in cuts like Swamba Redux, Drop the Rock and the title track. Of note, there is one great cover tune, that of Thelonius Monk's Think of One, which is the most overtly jazzy and abstract tune, and also one of the most swinging. There is a great midsection with a New Orleans funky martial beat going that just makes you wiggle in your chair.
Hunter plays a mutant 8 string guitar that affords him the ability to play simultaneous guitar and bass range figures, but not in a gimmick fashion. His playing is always musical, even when it is obvious that the method is highly technical. Hunter has a history of working with great drummers (including Jay Lane, Stanton Moore and Scott Amendola)*, and with this one we have Derrek Phillips, whose crisp stickwork fills out the beat section perfectly. The instrumental madness of John Ellis though, is what helps give this album some real breadth though. While primarily a brass player (tenor and alto saxes), he also gives some added colors with bass clarinet, Wurlitzer and Melodica.** They all seem to have a good rapport going on, with a relaxed looseness throughout.
If you want a fun, funky, jamming, jazzy confection for your earholes...get this. Now! Go!
* Jay Lane was an early drummer for pre-fame Primus (Hunter was initially signed to Ls Claypool's Prawn Song boutique label many years ago and before joining Blue Note and Ropeadope) and has also played in Claypool's Sausage project.
** Ellis has a decent solo disc out called One Foot in the Swamp (with guests like Nicolas Payton, John Scofield, and Jason Marsalis) that might be worth a peek in and of itself.
Last week a spiffy copy of the fresh out the oven release, Copperopolis, by the Charlie Hunter Trio arrived at my doorstep.
I have to say this is Hunter's best release in years, and possibly his finest hour, period. Chuck seems to have re-discovered distortion and rock n' roll, but what he does with it is 100% his own. Hunter has not given up his jazz gig, but has instead added a level of grit and jam-band bombast that was not as prevalent on his previous albums. But this isn't limited by the jam-band aesthetic of endless, mostly untethered-to-a-point noodling. Hunter is a true jazz muso, and his improvisiational skills are profound, even when he sticks to a back to the basics boogie or blues. This also isn't rawk! but does have some solid riff-mongering in a way that would fit well in a late 60s to mid 70s rock scene (opener Cueball Bobbin' is a great example) . It is open and free-rolling across a mix of New Orleans traditions (funk, R&B and blues), soul jazz, a little psychedelica, and riff rock. While the album is very cohesive, there are different things being offered in cuts like Swamba Redux, Drop the Rock and the title track. Of note, there is one great cover tune, that of Thelonius Monk's Think of One, which is the most overtly jazzy and abstract tune, and also one of the most swinging. There is a great midsection with a New Orleans funky martial beat going that just makes you wiggle in your chair.
Hunter plays a mutant 8 string guitar that affords him the ability to play simultaneous guitar and bass range figures, but not in a gimmick fashion. His playing is always musical, even when it is obvious that the method is highly technical. Hunter has a history of working with great drummers (including Jay Lane, Stanton Moore and Scott Amendola)*, and with this one we have Derrek Phillips, whose crisp stickwork fills out the beat section perfectly. The instrumental madness of John Ellis though, is what helps give this album some real breadth though. While primarily a brass player (tenor and alto saxes), he also gives some added colors with bass clarinet, Wurlitzer and Melodica.** They all seem to have a good rapport going on, with a relaxed looseness throughout.
If you want a fun, funky, jamming, jazzy confection for your earholes...get this. Now! Go!
* Jay Lane was an early drummer for pre-fame Primus (Hunter was initially signed to Ls Claypool's Prawn Song boutique label many years ago and before joining Blue Note and Ropeadope) and has also played in Claypool's Sausage project.
** Ellis has a decent solo disc out called One Foot in the Swamp (with guests like Nicolas Payton, John Scofield, and Jason Marsalis) that might be worth a peek in and of itself.
posted by theloniusfunk at 2:51 AM
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