Charlie Hunter

Went out to see Charlie Hunter fronting his current trio last night with Pete and Dave, my mates from The Larks. The venue was the NightCat in Easton, MD - a very intimate, acoustical setting.

For those unfamiliar with Mr. Hunter he plays a unique custom stringed instrument. The bottom three strings are bass and the top four strings are guitar. To say that he has mastered it would be an understatement. Click Charlie's picture for a better look >>>

I decided to blog about this because of his latest project which features a horn section of two trombones and a trumpet. Utilizing brass is a first for Charlie. It's a very creative and enjoyable listen (he's currently touring with 1/3 of the horn section). I'm holding the new CD in the picture below but it got cut off at the bottom.

Twenty years ago...

Newspaper clipping of me that I decided to scan before it totally disintegrated (note the date - click image to enlarge).
The Shore Jazz All-Stars included Lenny Grazier, Bill Nelson and Jackie Mofitt. Lenny and Bill are long deceased; 'survivors' from an earlier jazz era. I learned a lot from them.


This is a photo of me with Lenny and Jackie at another festival a couple of years later (I think - not really sure of the date on this one).

And from Summer '88- Shore Jazz All-Stars in concert at the OC Boardwalk (Jackie is hidden behind my flugelhorn):

'No-No Nonette' at the Avalon Theatre

This Halloween I did a show at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD.
It's a live-to-air variety radio show called "Radio From Downtown", loosely affiliated with NPR. Click the link to learn more about it.
(The guy holding the 'applause' sign is Van Williamson, the band guitarist and show producer).

Anyway, the gig is basically a run-through in the afternoon followed by a dinner break and then the show that night. I'm in the house band (called the 'No-No Nonette'). We play a bunch of interludes and the like, plus get a few featured numbers. Not my usual kind of gig but I'm not knocking the variety and I always like a challenge.

So for your critique I'm posting links to four of the featured tunes we performed (mp3 format), excerpted from the live radio feed that went out that night - essentially a sight read. They're mainly stock charts from Dave Pell, which were perfectly suited for the Nonette:

• Blue Room (mp3)
  
• Java Junction (mp3)
  
• Jazz Me Blues (mp3)
  
• Suze Blues (mp3)
  

Jazz Trio

Here's a working trio that many of my followers don't often get to see out and about. We'll play the occasional bar but this group has been mostly making it on the private circuit - parties, society events, yacht cruises, and the like. (Look ma, no drummer!)



The guitarist is Pete Bozick whom I've been collaborating with for the better part of the past decade in several different musical projects. The bassist in the top photo is Mike Graham and that's Ed Dawley on bass in the bottom photo. They are all serious players.