Charlie Hunter
(Booking in North America)
projects:
Charlie Hunter Trio
Charlie Hunter - Hybrid Guitar, lineup tbd
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Charlie Hunter - Hybrid Guitar, Ella Feingold - Guitar, TBD - Drums
A 1966 Fender Mustang Songbook
Charlie Hunter - Fender Mustang Guitar, Bobby Previte - Drums, Dave Hofstra - Bass
TOUR:
2025 - Available upon request
2026 - Available upon request
BIO:
Charlie Hunter is a guitarist, producer, and composer celebrated for his innovative approach to the instrument. He gained widespread recognition for his pioneering technique on an eight-string guitar, which he custom-designed to simultaneously play bass lines, melodies, and chords. Currently, he performs on 6- and 7-string guitars built by Hybrid Guitars Co., a company he co-founded in 2015 with luthiers Clay Conner and Wes Lambe to create fanned-fret instruments tailored to his specifications.
Hunter’s eclectic style seamlessly blends elements of jazz, funk, blues, and rock, creating a distinct sound that has captivated audiences worldwide. His mastery of rhythm, tone, and improvisation has earned him critical acclaim and a devoted following. Over the course of his thirty five year career, he has released numerous albums and collaborated with a diverse array of artists, from jazz legends to contemporary innovators.
A defining force in contemporary jazz, funk, and blues, Hunter has established himself as a versatile collaborator, producer and bandleader. His work with SuperBlue, alongside vocalist Kurt Elling, has received critical praise for its electrifying fusion of jazz, funk, and groove-driven improvisation. In recent years, Hunter has been touring extensively, with notable appearances at major international festivals, venues and performing arts centers.
In 2024, he continued to work with artists including Victoria Victoria, Butcher Brown, Jubu Smith & Calvin Napper, Sam Fribush, Maritzaida, and Candice Ivory. Hunter appeared on Tiny Desk alongside Carrtoons, Kiefer, and Nate Smith, further showcasing his ability to fuse genres and push musical boundaries.
Beyond performing, Hunter is also deeply involved in music production and education. During the 2019 pandemic, he launched Wheelhouse Beats, a revolutionary metronome app featuring some of today’s top drummers. He also founded SideHustle Records, a label and artist development house dedicated to nurturing emerging talent and ensuring artists retain control over their creative output.
Since 2022, Hunter has immersed himself in the music of Arthur “Blind” Blake, sharing his discoveries and interpretations on his Patreon page.
With an ever-evolving sound and a relentless drive to explore new musical territories, Charlie Hunter remains one of the most forward-thinking and influential guitarists of his generation.
Videos:
Listen:
press:
One of the most accomplished and soulful guitarists to emerge in the 1990s, Charlie Hunter made a name for himself wielding a custom-built eight-string instrument that allowed him to deliver stanky bass lines while playing grooves dripping with East Bay grease.
These days, the Berkeley-reared guitarist is slinging a signature seven-string Hybrid axe that he helped design, but rather than playing simultaneous bass lines, chords, and melodic lead, Hunter has found his way back to his happy place by supporting other, often undersung, musicians. Onstage and in the studio, where he’s produced a series of enthralling albums for Little Village Foundation and his own label, SideHustle Records, Hunter has quietly become a creative force propelling his colleagues.
For Hunter, tapping into that wild and raw energy is the ultimate goal, whomever he’s working with. In an era when music is often polished to a bright sheen or defiantly lo-fi, he’s dedicated to catching soul in a bottle.
- Andrew Gilbert, Classical Voice
Next, the band laid out and gave Charlie Hunter space for an extended solo, working the neck though heavy blues licks and picking out turn-arounds up and down the register. The room listened to the shift in tone with attentive ears. Hunter has a rich and buttoned show of style that is totally earthbound and serves as a perfect tonic to Elling’s soaring gin.
All-around, it was an electric, unifying and completely uplifting performance. Unblinking, the show tore by like a minute. An immediate standing ovation followed, the entire room ravenous for more. Dig that.
- Patrick Romanowski, Evanston Roundtable October 2023
It would have been perfect fodder for a classic jazz organ combo but with just guitar, saxophone and drums, Hunter’s group filled the arrangement, the guitarist interjecting the bass line as he played the chords and soloed, as well. In the middle of a smoking solo, Hunter delivered a breathtaking scale packed with multiple notes at each step. Seeming to surprise himself, he shot a look of delight meant for nobody else. It was a humble moment in a performance that rarely ceased to amaze, not only with Hunter’s technique, but with the rightness of his conception and the range of his inspirations.
To simply call out recognizable influences in Hunter’s playing doesn’t give him full credit for his unique musical outlook and performing style. For that, the listener has to go into the trenches with him, live and untethered.
- Curtis Schieber, The Columbus Dispatch