By Request: Charlie Hunter Trio

I have been a fan of Charlie Hunter since I first heard his recording with the group, T.J. Kirk. ([T]helonius Monk, [J]ames Brown and Rahsaan Roland [Kirk].) Hunter's efforts have always been Fusion based and broadly inspired. Such was the performance at Kansas City's Blue Room this past Saturday evening.

For the most part, Hunter's music is mostly Funk/Groove Jazz Fusion. Playing on custom made 7 & 8 string guitars, he has made a name for himself with an ability to play simultaneously the bass and lead as well as rhythm guitar. One could easily assume from his CD's that he might be recording these parts on separate tracks. Even watching him in person, I kept looking for those other two players, such is the prestidigitation that is Hunter's technique.

Joined on stage by Curtis Fowlkes on trombone and drummer Eric Kalb, Hunter's trio played two non-stop sets of music that ranged from his funky originals to New Orleans Jazz, in the form of Just A Closer Walk With Thee, and what seemed to be a tune loosely based on Gershwin's I've Got Rhythm. The second set was ended by a funkified version of Leiber and Stoller's Kansas City.



It was good to see that the Blue Room was full with a very appreciative crowd. Although not all of Hunter's recordings are as rewarding as his live appearances, I strongly recommend him to guitar nerds and jazz afficionados. My personal experience ranged from fascination to giddiness to disbelief. The man can play.

Sweeping Up

Having put on a new roof and painted the exterior of my little farm house, I am ready for the approaching winter climate. Time to turn inward.

The deconstruction phase of the inside of the house is just about finished. All of the wallpaper is gone and only one stubborn sheet of paneling remains. A "skim coat" will provide the last step in stretching a blank canvas upon the house's interior frame.

It is a wonder how wide the bids have been on this job. I was quoted the rate that a "union" contractor would ask at $20,000. A more reasonable bid came in somewhere less than half of that. The winner was under $2K. Go figure. I have seen his work in a similar restoration project just up the street from my place and I know the man can deliver.

I'm hoping he has a friend that refinishes floors.

What do you do with the kitchen sink?

What do you do with an old country kitchen sink? It is still in good shape but... It does not really fit in with my vision of the modern kitchen. In an age of dish washing machines, five feet and six inches seems an awful lot of counter space to dedicate to the sink.

Should it stay or should it go?

I've stripped a good portion of the wallpaper from the walls of my rehab house. I've upgraded the electrical. Now in the throes of updating the ... ahem... sanitary fixtures. Do I go for the standard crapper or do I need a toilet with an elongated bowl? Is wood paneling in or out?

In the Key of Broken (The Danger In Cargo Pants)

The result of catching my pants on the valve key of my favorite tuba. It isn't fatal, one might compare it to a broken finger, but my big horn is currently listed as "unable to perform".

Goin' Ahead

I wrote this response to an e-mail from my mother about my availability for lunch:

Mom-

Got a few irons on the fire today. My "rental" house needs lots of work. So much so that I am going to move into it and rent out my current house. Since the "rental" is 2 bdrm/1 bath and my current house is essentially 3 bdrm/2 bath, I can make a lot more rent on it and take my time renovating the smaller house. There are a few things that need to be done before I can make the move. Like updating the kitchen that currently is a mish-mash of decor from the 40's through the 70's. Or the 1 bath that hasn't seen new fixtures in at least 50 years. Fortunately, the Heating/AC and plumbing infrastructure are all new since I bought the house. The electricity, on the other hand, is mostly still the original installation.

There are up sides and down sides to most things in all of this. The smaller house, once I do some renovation, is probably a better fit for me. There are rooms I never go into in my current place. Unfortunately, I have filled those unfrequented rooms with stuff(junk) which will now have to be moved and stuffed into a smaller house. Although, the smaller house has a large garage in which to store things or, better yet, out of which to hold a garage sale. But since the garage sits 150 feet back from the street and the gravel drive, now disallowed by the city of Overland Park, needs to be repaved and the first estimate is $5,000.... It better be one dandy of a garage sale. It might have to be a full blown yard sale. The yard is also large, which is good. The dog will be happy accept that the yard is not fenced at this time. At least Dirkie has short legs, he couldn't jump over a jackrabbit, so the fence doesn't need to be too tall.

So it all depends... If all else fails, you can come over and give me a bid on some roof repair or an asphalt driveway or you can give me a call and see what my status is closer to lunch time.

Your loving son

Conch Fritters

Ahhhh! Conch fritters and a cold beer. That is all I wanted out of my recent cruise to the Bahamas. Forget the prime rib. Did you say lobster tail? Never mind the shrimp cocktail. Don't even mention the chocolate melting cake. Another glass of wine? ... Just give me a beer and some fritters. ... Oh! OK! I'll have all the rest as well.

Enjoy the images.