The virtuoso seven-string guitarist reunites with drummer Previte and trombonist Fowlkes on Let the Bells Ring On, which Hunter is releasing on his own Charlie Hunter Music label.
Though a generation older than Hunter, both Fowlkes and Previte have a deep bond with the eclectic guitarist.
Fowlkes appeared on Hunter’s 2003 quintet album, Right Now Move and Hunter and Previte have toured and recorded together in various all-star aggregations. The two sidemen were both essential participants in the vaunted downtown scene in 1970s era New York City.
After several years focusing on his stripped down duo with drummer Scott Amendola, Hunter decided it was time to get back into the trio setting and to expand his textural possibilities. Fowlkes brings a huge, soul-drenched sound to Hunter’s new compositions. “I wanted someone who can sing on their horn. I needed Curtis,” Hunter explained.
The music on Let the Bells Ring On explores a variety of sonic spaces from the gritty and greasy to the downright celebratory. There’s a hoedown and a waltz as well as hard-driving tunes and tautly cinematic excursions. We would expect no less from Charlie Hunter and these eminent collaborators.