Charlie Hunter: Solo Inventions

Since arriving in New York nine years ago, Charlie Hunter has recorded in nearly every variety of small-group setting, but he rarely operates alone, as he does on Solo Inventions, a new DVD from Paul McNulty and Daniel K. Berman as part of their Solos series. The 50-minute set was filmed in a Toronto church, which yields deep, resonant acoustics and the opportunity to shoot from far too many camera angles. The program features several Hunter originals, most notably “Oakland” and “Lulu’s Crawl,” as well as two standards, “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” and “Stars Fell on Alabama.” In between Hunter is amiably interviewed on a range of topics, including how he took interest in his unique, Ralph Novak-designed eight-stringed guitar, and he makes a trenchant point on how Americans tend to confuse quality of life with quantity of life.

Originally Published January 1, 2006