Bing Bing! [Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series] [2 LP] in Bloomington, MN

It is difficult not to be impressed with the playing of guitarist
Charlie Hunter
. By using an extra string,
Hunter
is able to create his own basslines and have a very self-sufficient bassless (and keyboardless) trio with tenor-saxophonist
Dave Ellis
and drummer
Jay Lane
that has all of the parts covered. The music on
Bing, Bing, Bing!
crosses over between straight-ahead jamming to '70s retro-
funk
(a la
Eddie Harris
) that is infectious enough to fit into an
acid jazz
setting. However, even at its funkiest, the rhythms are subtle and the improvising reasonably creative, making this a potentially popular group who should still interest
jazz
listeners. ~ Scott Yanow