What's in a name?

Many groups play cover tunes all of the time and some complete entire albums in a cover tune format. The album from this selection however takes it to the next level.

Here we have 1996's If Four Was One from the power group T.J. Kirk.

The idea of three guitarists and a drummer forming a power group may seem a little odd; especially when it comes to jazz. However, when anyone joins forces with the 8 string virtuoso Charlie Hunter, anything is possible and the outcome will almost always come remarkable.

Charlie in my mind is a genius. Any guy that can hold down a solid bass line and play sick electric jazz licks at the same time on one instrument is ok in my book. If you have not discovered Hunter's style, you must. Just watching him play an 8 string guitar is cool enough. Thumping the top strings for the bass line and picking the others for hot jazz licks amazes me every time.

When many first hear of T.J. Kirk they may think the group's name is a play on words by combining two popular roles that William Shatner has played; T.J. Hooker & Captain James T. Kirk. Maybe the band wanted you to think that, but in reality the group covers the musical styles of Thelonius Monk, James Brown, & Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

I became familiar with this outfit simply by being a fan of Charlie Hunter. This side project of his really caught my ear because I not only a huge jazz fan but also an admirer of the musicians for which they cover. I burned this disc from my buddy T.J., ironically, because he picked up this disc before I did. Rats. Anyway, this album's funky grooves takes me back to those college days and the disc battles he and I used to have.

Now I won't got through each track this time around but will supply a few clips of Charlie doing his thing. Unfortunately there aren't too many good videos of T.J. Kirk surfacing around because sadly the group disbanded after a few records.

We'll see more of Charlie down the road but for now, here's a little treat:

I throughly enjoy this disc however I feel I must transfer it over to iTunes as I don't have the official copy. That just makes sense right?

Anyone playing with you is going to change where your direction is.
Charlie Hunter