Songs from the Analog Playground
Charlie Hunter always put his emphasis on the groove, using his eight-string guitar to create an uncanny blend of bright leads, bass lines, and chord riffs that can simulate classic funk organ. ForSongs from the Analog Playground, he's added a series of guest vocalists to the mix, touching on pop sensibilities with an eclectic mix of originals and cover tunes. Norah Jones is the big news, bringing a breathy intimacy and soulful depths to Bryan Ferry's "More Than This" and Nick Drake's "Day Is Done," making them very much her own in the process. Theryl de Clouet, from the funk band Galactic, is a gritty, forceful presence on Earth, Wind & Fire's "Mighty Mighty" and the classic blues of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," while Mos Def raps on "Street Sounds" and takes his own stab at R&B; singing on "Creole." Kurt Elling's loose treatments of "Desert Way" and the Afro-Cuban suffused "Close Your Eyes" invoke traditional jazz singing. Tying it all together--vocals and instrumentals alike--are Hunter and his working quartet, stripping soul jazz down to its essentials, then rebuilding it in their own image, with frequent Latin and Caribbean touches expanded on by drummer Stephen Chopek and percussionist Chris Lovejoy. Hunter and tenor saxophonist John Ellis shine on jams like "Rhythm Music Rides Again" and "Run for It," alternately digging into the beat or floating atop.--Stuart Broomer