Listening to the follow-up recording to Bing, Bing, Bing!, I was immediately impressed by the flow and smoothness of the style of Hunter; Charlie says that he is now into "antacid jazz, which is a snappy way of saying this is an anti-acid jazz album". I prefer this to Bing...: it seems more natural, as if it came together by itself without any forcing.
The Quartet comprises Charlie Hunter (8-string guitar), Dave Ellis (Tenor Sax), Calder Spanier (Alto Sax) and Scott Amendola: Dave Ellis has since moved on to other things, and Kenny Brooks of Alphabet Soup will be joining the band for their upcoming live dates.
"Shango" is a "mythical dance". Whatever that means; "It has no steps... it's a bogus cultural dance movement that's a figment of my imagination", says Charlie. But how does it sound? The nearest I can get is the drifting memory that comes from that bar-scene somewhere in the middle of the first Star Wars film, when Harrison Ford is sitting at a table with Chewbacca and there are all those weird-and-wonderful creatures from various galaxies and star systems hanging out: some drinking, some creating trouble and some playing a type of sax. Ready... Set... Shango! has the same sort of feel - futuristic, but deep-rooted. And memorable, too.
