With the Monterey Jazz Festival around the corner, one of its many stars, Charlie Hunter, opens up about the community fostered by music
At his home on the East Coast, Charlie Hunter is just another suburban dad, indistinguishable from any other chauffeur driving his kids to soccer practice. But on stage, Hunter is famous for his agility on seven- and eight-string guitars. His music intersects with jazz, funk, blues, and many other genres, making his performances both eclectic and treasured.
But perhaps more moving than the music itself, is the amount of thought behind it. For Hunter, music exists in a realm above the political fray and beyond divisiveness, its sole purpose being to create a common ground for people. “[Music] is supposed to start a non-verbal dialogue among everyone,” he says. “[It] is supposed to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
The 46-year-old guitarist started to develop this ideology while growing up in Berkeley, Calif. “I think there are a lot of us that grew up in a weird communal way. If you ask any of the Berkeley musicians or East Bay musicians, many grew up in some very unique situations,” says Hunter. “I grew up on a school bus on a commune—but Berkeley in the 1970s is an entirely different place than it is today. It completely influences your worldview.”
That sense of community and unity is at the heart of the Monterey Jazz Festival, which takes place Sept. 20-22 at the historic Monterey County Fairgrounds. The annual event has featured every jazz legend, from Charlie Byrd to Billie Holiday, in its 56-year history, and will continue that tradition this year with performances by more than 500 artists, including Hunter—a five-year MJF veteran—Bobby McFerrin (“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”), Diana Krall (“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”) and George Benson (“This Masquerade”).
Read more: http://www.gtweekly.com/index.php/santa-cruz-arts-entertainment-lifestyles/santa-cruz-arts-entertainment-/5080-united-by-jazz.html
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