Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SHOW REVIEW Hunter sizzles at Senate Park CHARLIE HUNTER QUINTET Senate Park ★★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ BY DENNIS MING NICHOLS THE GAMECOCK The Charlie Hunter Trio opened mouths and inspired awe at Senate Park on Tuesday. The evening began with some sound problems, but like the jazz genre itself, the night evolved into nothing short of amazing. Tenor saxophonist John Ellis proved himself a master of multiple styles, from Coltrane-like passages to Brecker-style shredding. He also showed off his flute and bass clarinet. But the real star of the show was drummer Derek Philips, who not only played two amazing so los, but wowed the crowd with his turntable styling. Touring in support of its most recent album, “Right Now Move,” Hunter and his trio performed some of the new groove-oriented tunes before delving into the com plex compositions of its earlier al bums. The place was packed with truckloads of music fans came to see the San Fran ensemble, many of whom had probably never seen the eight-string guitar. The eight-string guitar is actu ally a bass and guitar hybrid. The lower three strings are for bass lines while the higher five strings are for normal guitar work. This hybrid lets Hunter to play bass and guitar at the same time, al lowing for more unity between the bass and guitar lines. It also af fords him more rhythmic control. But playing a hybrid also re quires twice the technique. In the midst of each ripping guitar solo, he must also concentrate on pro viding a walking bass line. At many points during the show, he wowed the crowd with complex improvisations, while still main taining a tight bass groove. Although the trio’s roots lie in jazz, they demonstrate a variety of influences from soul and funk to'salsa and hip-hop. Some songs sparkled with hints of Parliament and Charlie Christian, while oth ers manifested B.B. King. Hunter, only 34, will most likely come back to Columbia. Whether he is playing in a trio, quintet or big band, it promises to be quite a show. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Above: Charlie Hunter, on guitar, and John Ellis, on tenor saxophone, came to Senate Park on Tuesday in support of the Charlie Hunter Trio’s newest album, “Right Now Move.” Right: Hunter plays his infamous eight-string guitar. PHOTOS BY DENNIS MING NICHOLS/THE GAMECOCK SHOW PREVIEW Local musicians to give Easter the rock treatment Proceeds from show will go to Amnesty International BY NIK RAMACHANDRAN THE GAMECOCK In a world filled with cookie cutter pop divas and TRL boy bands, there’s nothing more sa cred than local independent music. On Saturday, an all-star lineup of local musicians will present “Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Concert” at Senate Park. The project was the brain child of Steven Williams and Will Grice, who are from the band Death to Van Gogh’s Ear. “We started listening to the album and decided we wanted to perform the songs as a band,” Williams said. “The plan got bigger from there, and pretty soon, we had a lot of lo cal talent involved in the con cert.” “Jesus Christ Superstar” tells the story of the last seven days of the Messiah. His entry into Jerusalem, the unrest caused by his preaching, Judas’ betrayal, the trial by Pontius Pilate, and hjs eventual crucifixion are all recreated through the medium of song. The opera, originally written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, has garnered critical acclaim for nearly three decades. Members of King Hippo, the Potion, Mescaline Man, the Criphill Ramblers, Rockefeller Horsecollar, Voices of Dissent and other local bands will ap pear in the show. A stage band consisting of a drummer, a bassist and three gui tarists will perform the music, while vocalists will take the stage to sing the charac ters’ parts. “It’s beauti iui to see ditterent musicians from varying genres rally to gether around this perfor mance,” said Casey Hammett, who will play the role of Judas. ■“Many of us have had to cancel gigs so that we can volunteer our time. It’s really a testament to the level of commitment we all have for this performance.” The show will focus on the rock songs of “Superstar” and will be split into two acts. “There will be some choreog raphy, but not a lot; the focus will be on the music,” said Don McCallister, co-owner of Loose Lucy’s along with his wife, Jennifer. “This isn’t going to be a production — it’s more a pre sentation of the score in a rock concert format.” McCallister’s wife will also ap pear in the role of Mary Magdalene. Proceeds from the event will benefit Amnesty International. “We felt that Amnesty repre sents ideals in line with the phi losophy of Christ,” Williams said. “It’s ironic that Amnesty strives to help political dissi dents and op poses the death penalty, while Jesus himself was cr-ucified by his govern ment for preaching be nets he Knew to he true. Hammett thinks the perfor mance could have a significant local impact. “Everyone chosen to perform is perfect in their roles,” Hammett said. “We have a real chance to build some community and get people more involved in the local scene.” Tickets for the event can be purchased for $5 at Loose Lucy’s, Star Music and on the Internet at Www.senatepark.com. A lim ited number of tickets will also be sold at the door. The show be gins at 9p.m. Comments on this story?E-mail gameoockmixeditor@hotmail.com “It’s beautiful to see different musicians from varying genres rally together around this performance.” CASEY HAMMETT PERFORMER WHO WILL PLAY THE ROLE OF JUDAS mpY Eomm want to work for TH# AMECOCK this summer? 7o^u 11,1 —— Customer Service Representatives In this role, working in our fast-paced, state-of-the art call center, you will be responsible for problem resolution for our customer base. This will include handling inbound customer calls to: explain our products/services; research and resolve billing inquiries; and troubleshoot service equipment issues. To qualify, Associate’s/ Bachelor’s degree is preferred (or equivalent experience) along with excellent PC skills. The ability to work both independently and as part of a team are musts. Flexibility is key as some evening, weekend and holiday hours are required. Shift differentials are offered for evening/overnight shifts. Reference Code: 103987 Career Fair Monday, April 21, 11am-7pm Embassy Suites Hotel 200 Stoneridge Drive Columbia, SC 29290 Please bring a copy of your resume. V -*«rf wireless The value begins with you. Join In. ' V, xlnt f ? gr8 benefits :) co-workers well train u hcit?