Charlie Hunter
Encyclopedia
for the New Zealand racehorse trainer and driver see: Charlie Hunter
Charlie Hunter (born May 23, 1967) is an American guitar
ist, composer
and bandleader.
First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter has recorded 17 albums. Hunter plays custom-made seven and eight-string guitars, on which he simultaneously plays basslines, rhythm guitar
, and solos
. Critic Sean Westergaard describes Hunter's guitar technique as "mind-boggling ... he's an agile improviser with an ear for great tone, and always has excellent players alongside him in order to make great music, not to show off."
. Hunter graduated from Berkeley High School and took lessons from famed guitar teacher Joe Satriani
. At eighteen he moved to Paris. Returning to the Bay area, Hunter played a seven-string guitar and organ in Michael Franti's
political rap group, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
. In 1992, they were one of the opening acts for U2
's Zoo TV Tour
.
Since the debut of his self-titled Charlie Hunter Trio
(which included Dave Ellis on sax and Jay Lane on drums) in 1993, Charlie Hunter has recorded seventeen albums. He co-founded Garage A Trois
, a jazz fusion band with Stanton Moore
and Skerik
. He has collaborated with Bobby Previte
for an ongoing project entitled "Groundtruther." He also recorded and toured for Bobby Previte's The Coalition of the Willing
in 2006. He appears on acclaimed jazz bassist Christian McBride's
Live At Tonic. On both The Coalition of the Willing and Live at Tonic he plays 6-string guitars. His earliest known released recording without unusual guitars is as a guest bassist for the band Sweet Potato from California's East Bay. The song "Crankshaft" can be found on the Ubiquity Records compilation Mo Cookin from 1994 and the song "Monkey Wrench" can be found on the Ubiquity Records compilation Still Cookin from 1995. He also played guitar on the track "Me and Chuck" from the Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel album, Highball with the Devil
, released in 1996.
Charlie played in the band T.J. Kirk active 1990s that merged the music of Thelonious Monk
, James Brown
, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk
. T.J Kirk is: Will Bernard
- Guitar, John Schott - Guitar, Charlie Hunter - 8-string guitar and Scott Amendola
- Drums. Three recordings of the time are called: T.J. Kirk August 8, 1995, If Four Was One September 24, 1996 and Talking Only Makes it Worse released in 2005. Hunter contributed to three songs for D'Angelo
's Voodoo (2000), including "The Root
". Hunter has stated that the session for the song was the most challenging session he has worked on.
In the summer of 2007, Charlie toured with a trio that included New York keyboardist Erik Deutsch and New York/New Orleans drummer Simon Lott. This trio recorded the July, 2007 Fantasy release Mistico. In 2008, Hunter recorded his first self-release, Baboon Strength. Featured on the record are Erik Deutch on keys and Tony Mason on drums. Hunter returned to the studio in Fall of 2009 to record with drummer Eric Kalb.
In 2008, eminent clarinetist and composer Ben Goldberg put together a project entitled "Go Home" with Charlie on guitar(s), Ron Miles
(trumpet) and Scott Amendola
(drums). The alternately funky, beautiful, spacious and deep compositions showcase all the musicians. The group performed at the Jazz Standard in New York from October 29 to November 1, 2009 with Curtis Fowlkes
on trombone, replacing Miles on trumpet.
Hunter was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards'
judging panel to support independent artists.
Charlie Hunter is represented by Tree Lawn Artists, Inc.
Previously, Hunter played a custom-made, eight-string guitar
made by luthier
Ralph Novak of Novax Guitars. He plays the lead guitar on the top five strings (tuned ADGBe) and bass guitar (tuned EAD) on the bottom three strings simultaneously. With the addition of a Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere (a Leslie
rotary speaker simulator), his unique style produces a sound similar to that of a Hammond organ
-- an instrument he set out to imitate.
In 2006, Hunter removed the top guitar string and had the neck of his guitar reworked and now plays a modified 7-string on the formerly-8 string body. Hunter has mentioned that because of his small hands, he had to move out of position to make use of the 8th string and thus wasn't using it much. A change in Hunter's style away from the organ sound into a more blues and distortion based sound happened at the same time. After removing the 8th string, Hunter retuned all of the strings up a half step: F-A#-D# on the bass and A#-D#-G#-C on the guitar. As of 2008, he had once again retuned up another whole step: G-C-F on the bass and C-F-A#-D on the guitar.
Charlie Hunter (trainer)
Charlie Hunter or C S Hunter was a trainer and driver of standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with champions such as Young Quinn. Hunter topped the New Zealand trainer's list in the 1967/68 and 1973/74 seasons, and was first equal in the 1974/75 season....
Charlie Hunter (born May 23, 1967) is an American guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and bandleader.
First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter has recorded 17 albums. Hunter plays custom-made seven and eight-string guitars, on which he simultaneously plays basslines, rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, and solos
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
. Critic Sean Westergaard describes Hunter's guitar technique as "mind-boggling ... he's an agile improviser with an ear for great tone, and always has excellent players alongside him in order to make great music, not to show off."
Biography
Hunter was born in Rhode Island. When he was four his mom packed him and his younger sister in an old yellow school bus and headed west. After several years living on a commune in Mendocino County they settled in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. Hunter graduated from Berkeley High School and took lessons from famed guitar teacher Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
. At eighteen he moved to Paris. Returning to the Bay area, Hunter played a seven-string guitar and organ in Michael Franti's
Michael Franti
Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
political rap group, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was an American industrial hip-hop band, active during the early 1990s.The band was formed in 1990 by Michael Franti and Rono Tse, who had been in the Beatnigs, and introduced the work of guitarist Charlie Hunter...
. In 1992, they were one of the opening acts for U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's Zoo TV Tour
Zoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album Achtung Baby, the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 through 1993...
.
Since the debut of his self-titled Charlie Hunter Trio
Charlie Hunter Trio (album)
Charlie Hunter Trio is a 1993 album by jazz musician Charlie Hunter.This self-titled debut album was recorded on Les Claypool's Prawn Song record label.-Track listing:#"Fred's Life" – 4:30...
(which included Dave Ellis on sax and Jay Lane on drums) in 1993, Charlie Hunter has recorded seventeen albums. He co-founded Garage A Trois
Garage A Trois
Garage A Trois is a quartet including drummer Stanton Moore, saxophonist Skerik, vibraphone and percussionist Mike Dillon and keyboardist Marco Benevento. They play a variety of music including rock, funk and jazz.- History :...
, a jazz fusion band with Stanton Moore
Stanton Moore
Stanton Moore is a drummer raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity...
and Skerik
Skerik
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...
. He has collaborated with Bobby Previte
Bobby Previte
Robert "Bobby" Previte is a drummer, composer and bandleader. Previte earned a B.A. in Economics at the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979, and became active in the city's thriving jazz and experimental music scenes...
for an ongoing project entitled "Groundtruther." He also recorded and toured for Bobby Previte's The Coalition of the Willing
The Coalition of the Willing (band)
The Coalition of the Willing is an instrumental jazz and rock "all-star" ensemble led by Bobby Previte. Live performances are improvisational emphasizing groove, experimental and cross-genres. The self-titled album was released 2006 and the tour began in early 2006...
in 2006. He appears on acclaimed jazz bassist Christian McBride's
Christian McBride
Christian McBride is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors...
Live At Tonic. On both The Coalition of the Willing and Live at Tonic he plays 6-string guitars. His earliest known released recording without unusual guitars is as a guest bassist for the band Sweet Potato from California's East Bay. The song "Crankshaft" can be found on the Ubiquity Records compilation Mo Cookin from 1994 and the song "Monkey Wrench" can be found on the Ubiquity Records compilation Still Cookin from 1995. He also played guitar on the track "Me and Chuck" from the Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel album, Highball with the Devil
Highball with the Devil
Highball with the Devil is a studio album by Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel, released in 1996. "Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel" is Claypool's first solo effort; many of the instruments on the album are played by Claypool himself including guitar, most of the drums and vocals as well as all...
, released in 1996.
Charlie played in the band T.J. Kirk active 1990s that merged the music of Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments...
. T.J Kirk is: Will Bernard
Will Bernard
Will Bernard is a guitarist and band leader from the San Francisco Bay Area, now living in Brooklyn, New York. He has led the Will Bernard Band, Will Bernard Trio, Will Bernard 4-tet, and Motherbug....
- Guitar, John Schott - Guitar, Charlie Hunter - 8-string guitar and Scott Amendola
Scott Amendola
Scott Amendola is an American jazz drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. His styles include jazz, blues, groove, rock and new music. He is considered central to the Bay Area music scene....
- Drums. Three recordings of the time are called: T.J. Kirk August 8, 1995, If Four Was One September 24, 1996 and Talking Only Makes it Worse released in 2005. Hunter contributed to three songs for D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
's Voodoo (2000), including "The Root
The Root
The Root is an English-language online magazine of African American culture launched on January 28, 2008, by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Donald E. Graham. The Root is owned by The Washington Post Company through its online subsidiary, The Slate Group....
". Hunter has stated that the session for the song was the most challenging session he has worked on.
In the summer of 2007, Charlie toured with a trio that included New York keyboardist Erik Deutsch and New York/New Orleans drummer Simon Lott. This trio recorded the July, 2007 Fantasy release Mistico. In 2008, Hunter recorded his first self-release, Baboon Strength. Featured on the record are Erik Deutch on keys and Tony Mason on drums. Hunter returned to the studio in Fall of 2009 to record with drummer Eric Kalb.
In 2008, eminent clarinetist and composer Ben Goldberg put together a project entitled "Go Home" with Charlie on guitar(s), Ron Miles
Ron Miles
Ron Miles is an American trumpeter, cornetist and composer.-Career:Miles moved to Denver, Colorado at the age of 11 and attended Denver East High School. Ron went on to study music at the University of Denver and the Manhattan School of Music . He is among Denver's most prominent jazz musicians...
(trumpet) and Scott Amendola
Scott Amendola
Scott Amendola is an American jazz drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. His styles include jazz, blues, groove, rock and new music. He is considered central to the Bay Area music scene....
(drums). The alternately funky, beautiful, spacious and deep compositions showcase all the musicians. The group performed at the Jazz Standard in New York from October 29 to November 1, 2009 with Curtis Fowlkes
Curtis Fowlkes
Curtis Fowlkes is an American jazz trombonist. In 1987 he founded, together with saxophonist Roy Nathanson, The Jazz Passengers, an eclectic group dedicated to putting entertainment and humor back into jazz. The two had met performing in John Lurie's The Lounge Lizards, a group that shares a...
on trombone, replacing Miles on trumpet.
Hunter was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards'
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
judging panel to support independent artists.
Charlie Hunter is represented by Tree Lawn Artists, Inc.
Equipment
Hunter currently plays a custom-made, seven-string guitar made by Jeff Traugott.Previously, Hunter played a custom-made, eight-string guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
made by luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Ralph Novak of Novax Guitars. He plays the lead guitar on the top five strings (tuned ADGBe) and bass guitar (tuned EAD) on the bottom three strings simultaneously. With the addition of a Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere (a Leslie
Leslie speaker
The Leslie speaker is a specially constructed amplifier/loudspeaker used to create special audio effects using the Doppler effect. Named after its inventor, Donald Leslie, it is particularly associated with the Hammond organ but is used with a variety of instruments as well as vocals. The...
rotary speaker simulator), his unique style produces a sound similar to that of a Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
-- an instrument he set out to imitate.
In 2006, Hunter removed the top guitar string and had the neck of his guitar reworked and now plays a modified 7-string on the formerly-8 string body. Hunter has mentioned that because of his small hands, he had to move out of position to make use of the 8th string and thus wasn't using it much. A change in Hunter's style away from the organ sound into a more blues and distortion based sound happened at the same time. After removing the 8th string, Hunter retuned all of the strings up a half step: F-A#-D# on the bass and A#-D#-G#-C on the guitar. As of 2008, he had once again retuned up another whole step: G-C-F on the bass and C-F-A#-D on the guitar.
Discography
- 1993 - Charlie Hunter TrioCharlie Hunter Trio (album)Charlie Hunter Trio is a 1993 album by jazz musician Charlie Hunter.This self-titled debut album was recorded on Les Claypool's Prawn Song record label.-Track listing:#"Fred's Life" – 4:30...
- Prawn Song - 1995 - Bing, Bing, Bing!Bing, Bing, Bing!Bing, Bing, Bing! is a 1995 album by jazz musician Charlie Hunter. This was his first album for the Blue Note label and features his 8-string guitar.The cover is a retro homage to Horace Parlan's 1960 album, Speakin' My Piece...
- Blue Note - 1996 - Ready, Set...Shango! - Blue Note
- 1997 - Natty Dread - Blue Note
- 1998 - Return of the Candyman - Blue Note
- 1998 - All Kooked Out!All Kooked Out! (Stanton Moore album)All Kooked Out! is the first studio album by New Orleans, Louisiana based drummer Stanton Moore.It was recorded entirely live in the studio with no overdubs and no headphones, in a week-long session that also yielded Mysteryfunk, the debut album for Garage A Trois...
(Stanton Moore) - Fog City - 1999 - Duo - Blue Note
- 1999 - MysteryfunkMysteryfunkMysteryfunk is the first EP by Garage A Trois released in 1999. It is a 45 rpm 12 inch vinyl record. The recordings were taken completely improvised, live and with no overdubs, or samples at Magazine Studios during the February 1998 recording of Stanton Moore's debut solo release All Kooked...
(Garage a Trois) - Fog City - 2000 - Voodoo (D'Angelo) – Cheeba Sound
- 2000 - Charlie Hunter - Blue Note
- 2000 - Solo Eight-String Guitar - Contra Punto
- 2001 - Songs from the Analog Playground - Blue Note
- 2003 - EmphasizerEmphasizerEmphasizer is the first full length studio album by Garage A Trois released in 2003.-Track listing:# "Hard Headed Rio AKA Rio Cuca Dura" - 4:14# "Sprung Monkey" - 4:39# "Plena for My Grundle" - 3:40# "A-Frame" - 3:56# "We See" - 3:53...
(Garage a Trois) - Tone-Cool - 2003 - Right Now Move - Ropeadope
- 2003 - Come In Red Dog, This is Tango Leader (with Bobby PreviteBobby PreviteRobert "Bobby" Previte is a drummer, composer and bandleader. Previte earned a B.A. in Economics at the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979, and became active in the city's thriving jazz and experimental music scenes...
) - Ropeadope - 2004 - Friends Seen and UnseenFriends Seen and UnseenFriends Seen and Unseen is a studio album by Charlie Hunter Trio, released in 2004. The Trio is composed of Charlie Hunter playing 8-string guitar, John Ellis - various wind instruments and Derrek Phillips - drums.-Track listing:...
- Ropeadope - 2004 - Latitude (Groundtruther) - Thirsty Ear
- 2005 - Steady Groovin' - Blue Note
- 2005 - Longitude (Groundtruther) - Thirsty Ear
- 2005 - Outre MerOutre MerOutre Mer is the second full-length studio album by Garage A Trois released in 2005. Uniquely combining drums, percussion, eight-string guitar and saxophone it is funk-influenced and emphasizes polyrhythmic grooves...
(Garage a Trois) - Telarc - 2005 - Earth Tones (with Chinna Smith and Ernest Ranglin) - Green Street
- 2006 - The Coalition of the WillingThe Coalition of the Willing (album)The Coalition of the Willing is the 2006 album by drummer Bobby Previte. It combines elements of both jazz and classic rock. Featured artists include Charlie Hunter on guitar, Steve Bernstein on trumpet, Jamie Saft on the Hammond organ and Skerik on saxophone. Although Hunter is mostly known for...
(Bobby Previte) - Ropeadope - 2006 - Live at TonicLive at Tonic (Christian McBride)Live at Tonic is live album by Christian McBride recorded at Tonic in New York January 10, 11, 2005.- Track listing :DISC 1:#Technicolor Nightmare#Say Something#Clerow's Flipped#Lejos De Usted#Sonic Tonic#Hibiscus#Sitting On A Cloud...
(Christian McBride) - Ropeadope - 2006 - Copperopolis - Ropeadope
- 2007 - Mistico - Fantasy
- 2007 - Altitude (Groundtruther) - Thirsty Ear
- 2007 - Continuum (In RepairIn Repair (John Mayer song)In Repair is a song written and performed by John Mayer. It was published and released in 2006 on the album, Continuum. It features Charlie Hunter on an 8-string guitar. An acoustic version of the song was also released on Mayer's The Village Sessions EP...
) - John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his... - 2008 - Baboon Strength - reapandsow
- 2008 - Fade - (Tim Collins featuring Charlie Hunter & Simon Lott) - Ropeadope
- 2009 - Go Home - (Ben Goldberg, Charlie Hunter, Scott Amendola & Ron Miles) - BAG Production
- 2009 - Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid - Spire Artist Media / reapandsow
- 2010 - Public Domain -
Videography
- 2004 - Right Now Live, Ropeadope DigitalRopeadope RecordsRopeadope Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, hip hop, electronic and downtempo music. The label was founded by Andy Hurwitz in New York City and later moved to Philadelphia, where it is now located....
(DVD released July 13) - 2005 - Solo Inventions, Shanachie EntertainmentShanachie RecordsShanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...
(DVD released September 6) - 2006 - In Repair: One Song, One DayIn Repair (John Mayer song)In Repair is a song written and performed by John Mayer. It was published and released in 2006 on the album, Continuum. It features Charlie Hunter on an 8-string guitar. An acoustic version of the song was also released on Mayer's The Village Sessions EP...
, playing 8-string with John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Aware RecordsAware RecordsAware Records is an American record label, existent to seek unsigned musical artists and expose them to the mainstream media. The label has had success with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five For Fighting, Mat Kearney and Guster....
(iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
download) - 2011 - Solos: the Jazz Sessions, Original Spin MediaOriginal Spin MediaSince 2004, Original Spin Media has produced more than 150 hours of HD content with an international reputation for music specials, nature programming and documentaries...
(DVD released February 22)
Filmography
- SOLOS: the jazz sessions (2004)
- Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
(1997) - Rochester, New York Jazz Festival (2009)
External links
- CharlieHunter.com
- Charlie Hunter collection on the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive