Innovative instrumentalists play Bluebird

Unique, talented, entertaining and multifaceted, Charlie Hunter and Keller Williams played stellar performances Thursday night at the Bluebird Nightclub, 216 N. Walnut St.\nBacked by an ensemble of five musicians, Hunter and his band entertained a packed house with highly percussive music, incorporating elements of funk and jazz.\n"We try to play music that covers all boundaries," Hunter said.\nWhat made his set so captivating was the unique instrument he played, a guitar consisting of eight strings -- three bass and five electric. Using both sets of strings, Hunter was able to carry a bassline with his thumb while playing complementary riffs with his fingers. The bass only disappeared when he used all five digits to play lead solos. \nOne could see Hunter gritting his teeth, jamming both bass and electric guitar on his 8-string. If one wasn't watching it would have been virtually impossible to tell that one musician was carrying both parts.\nHunter's band complemented his style superbly without trying to outdo him. Most of the musicians played rhythmic instruments during the set, including John Ellis, who also tastefully integrated saxophone and flute parts. \nGuest vocalist Norah Jones further rounded out Hunter's music, adding her soulful voice to songs like "Close Your Eyes" and "Day Is Done," a tune from his most recent release Songs from the Analog Playground. \nTo end the set, the band took turns taking solos on percussive instruments. Holding his tambourine above the microphone, Hunter banged the skin with his thumb, creating a deep bass sound that resonated around the Bluebird. Before filing out through the crowd, still playing their instruments, Hunter said on behalf of the entire band, "We do not take any of you for granted."\nBetween sets, the venue remained packed, filled with fans eagerly awaiting Keller Williams. An accomplished solo artist, Williams is best known for his collaboration with the String Cheese Incident on his 1999 album Breathe and for his spot on the So Many Roads tour last summer.\nFor his show Thursday, Williams performed barefoot on an Oriental rug, surrounded by five guitars and a bass on stands, numerous foot pedals and his loop machine. Using the machine, Williams was able to layer sounds on top of one another, creating the illusion an entire band was backing him. \nTo construct many of his songs, Williams first looped beat-box vocals or beats created by banging hollow tubes on his legs. Next, he would play a bass line and loop that. Then, Williams would play one of his guitars and possibly loop a riff or two. Finally, he would jam over the music, usually with his 10-string, and sing vocals. At any point during a song, Williams could manipulate any of the previously recorded parts. \nThough unique and extremely creative, the entire process was rather self-indulgent. Immersed in generating so many sounds, Williams often appeared busy on stage, which was reflected in the music. With so many parts being looped at once, there was almost too much going on. \nHe shined most as a guitarist when he played with just his 10-string, backed by nothing but the occasional beat of his fingers smacking the side of his guitar. \nOne of his finest moments came before playing a cover of the Grateful Dead's "Looks Like Rain." During a fast-paced jam on the 10-string, Williams began incorporating chords from the tune, touching on the subtle nuances of the song. The jam continued into an impressive version played at much faster tempo than it was traditionally performed by the Dead. Later in the set, Williams again paid homage to the Dead by teasing the melody to their song "Dark Star." Again, his playing was much simpler and less erratic than earlier in the set.\nWilliams also performed numerous original songs, including "Hunting Charlie" and "Tribe," a tune from his recent album Spun.\nWith superior talent, creativity and improvisational skills, both Charlie Hunter and Keller Williams displayed exceptional, refreshingly unique musical styles.