The term “Charlie Hunter Trio” can mean a lot of different things, depending on who is playing alongside Hunter’s guitar/bass Novax and the drums of someone else. That meant a saxophonist in the 90s and the first half of the aughts. In 2007, John Ellis’ sax was replaced by Erik Deutsch’s keyboards (for Mistico) and now, that third member is Lounge Lizard and Jazz Passengers trombone specialist Curtis Fowlkes.
The association among the three goes back many years; Fowlkes appeared on Hunter’s Right Now Move quintet release from 2003 and Previte with Hunter make up the core players for their free-improv Groundtruther project. With Hunter once again getting the urge to expand from the duo format he’s enjoyed the last several years with drummer Scott Amendola, he called in Fowlkes to be that third voice.
On June 2, Hunter leads Fowlkes and Previte in this new/old trio from Let The Bells Ring On, expected for release June 2, 2015 on Hunter’s own Charlie Hunter Music.
It’s readily apparent from the above stream of “Those People”, an advance track from Bells, that the extra ‘voice’ instantly makes the music distinguishable from, say, the sparer encounters with Amendola. Fowlkes adds a jazzier presence that perfectly complements Hunter’s and Previte’s tough Memphis groove. The guitarist cedes nearly all the lead duties to the ‘bone player, but the rhythm work bubbling just underneath is just as attention-grabbing and Fowlkes plays locked closely attuned to his two-man, three instrument rhythm section.
Charlie Hunter continues to organically make happy music that’s hard to classify but easy to recognize as his own. No matter who rounds out that trio.
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