Steady Groovin' [CCCD]

harlie Hunter is the undisputed master of the eight-string guitar (he plays bass figures while simultaneously comping and soloing on the high strings), and the albums he released on Blue Note between 1995 and 2001 provide ample evidence of his stunning technique. STEADY GROOVIN' is a 12-track compilation of Hunter's Blue Note output, and the perfect place for the uninitiated to sample his talents. Hunter's music recalls the soul-jazz and funk-inflected jams that characterised the late-'60s and early-'70s catalogues of Blue Note and Verve, with plenty of heady, sophisticated improvisation.
STEADY GROOVIN' works wonderfully as a collection--although it spans numerous albums, it comes across as remarkably cohesive. Hunter plays with a rotating roster of musicians here, all of whom are excellent, and the configurations shift as well. Hunter is featured in duo (with drummer Leon Parker on the salsa-fueled "Mean Streak"), trio (with drummer Jay Lane and tenor-sax man Dave Ellis on the bobbing-and-weaving "Greasy Granny"), and quartet settings throughout. STEADY GROOVIN' is aptly titled, and shows off the spectacular "two-instruments-in-one" guitar heroics of Hunter.|