Jazz fusion guitarist Charlie Hunter dazzled a large crowd last night at Jazz at the Bistro, pulling all kinds of craziness out of his instrument.

Spanning jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock, Hunter carved out impressive solos while playing a mixture of covers and originals. Playing a custom-made seven-string guitar, Hunter deftly switched between soloing, bass and rhythm guitar like a ventriloquist. More than one audience member was looking for a hidden bassist as the show commenced.

Hunter’s drummer nearly upstaged him, though.

For the first quarter of the set, the crowd’s attention was squarely on Hunter’s counterpart, Simon Lott. With Hunter giving him as much time as he needed, Lott plowed through an absurd variety of intricate fills and rapid-fire drum rolls. I don’t know if I’ve seen a drummer having this much fun.

Visually, the two looked thrift store chic with Hunter wearing what looked like a warm up jacket for the Brazilian national soccer team.

The crowd members, most of whom probably didn’t attend Hunter’s Mississippi Nights shows over the years, warmed to the duo from the start and were especially enthusiastic when Hunter played the blues like he had been playing them all his life.

You can still catch Hunter tonight and Sat. night at the Bistro.

Get details on show times, a map with nearby restaurants, reviews and more here.

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