Steve Hunter Quartet
The Sound Lounge
19 May, 2006
Steve Hunter (bass) James Muller (guitar) Matt McMahon (piano) James Hauptman (drums)
Steve Hunter probably thought it was ironic that a drummer with such a sharp sense of time could hold the show up by being late. Once things got started, though, Hauptman was spot on; locked solid into hypnotic one-chord sections of groove and then swinging at the appropriate moments in the always-interesting Hunter compositions.
A decent sized audience at The Sound Lounge in the Seymour Centre were treated to a variety of styles of music, from the relaxed reggae style of Jamaica Smile to a memorable rendition of Miles Davis’ Blue in Green. Muller was impressive on the guitar with his melodic approach and sheer wealth of ideas. On several numbers he was clearly enjoying himself and played with impressive vigour.
McMahon always leaves me with the impression that his is a most studied and concentrated approach; his mixture of Fender Rhodes and mini-grand soloing was perfectly suitable to the flowing of styles in the music.
As a rhythm section they were tight and responded to the ebb and flow as the atmosphere of the tuned required. And why wouldn’t you be with Steve Hunter a bass player? My abiding memory of the gig was of his solo bass introductions and explorations of the melodies in several numbers. His tone was perfect for the size of the room; perfectly defined and yet with lots of bottom end.
Hunter’s interplay with Hauptman on several grooves left me wanting more by the end of the night. He announced that he has a CD in the offing with more solo bass pieces, which I look forward to.
