Charlie Hunter‘s “Home For The Holidays” show at Yoshi’s has become quite the tradition for me in my hometown of Oaksterdam. The event has always been a great success, and this year they’re celebrating its tenth year with a four day run, Dec 18-Dec 20, 2009, featuring special guest Doug Wamble. So to warm up for this fantabulous occasion, I’m posting this bubbly rockin’ jazzy funk track for you’re listening plizeasure. Note the absence of any bass guitar proper, as Charlie manages the top, middle, and bottom of an 8 string slanted fret guitar that was designed for him by fellow Oaklander Ralph Novak. When Hunter gets cooking on that thing, you’ll find yourself looking around the stage asking, where are the rest of the players? A musician, a magician and a mensch, Charlie just keeps getting better with time.

Charlie Hunter
“High Pockets and a Fanny Pack” (mp3)
from “Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid”
(reapandsow, Inc.)

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Ah, the unmistakable strains of jazz guitar genius, Django Reinhardt. The story of this legendary player’s life is as remarkable as his output – the wiki entry is a good read – but to really understand the man, you have to listen to his music. The group he ran with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Quintette du Hot Club de France, had a seismic influence on the evolution of jazz. That one of the key innovators of the quintessentially American musical form would happen to be a Gypsy from Belgium, just speaks to the nature of music as universal language. Listen to this cut, and if it moves you, do yourself a favor and pick up the rest of the record. The positivity and playful curiosity of these recordings cuts right through the decades, and it’s hard to imagine post war music in any popular genre, absent this GR8 body of work.

Django Reinhardt et le Hot club de France
“Intro” (mp3)
from “Echos de France”
(Barajazz)

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I confess, when I saw the title Freedom Jazz Dance, I half expected an ironic indie rock send up, or perhaps a sloppy jam band abomination. What we have instead is, well, a freedom jazz dance! And it’s funky. This has a great, low swing to it and some tasty, lovingly executed leads on tenor sax and muted trumpet.

Dodge
“Freedom Jazz Dance” (mp3)
from “Javabubbaboogaloo”
(Jazzhead)

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