Curtis Fowlkes

A pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of 1930s Kansas City.

Recorded in winter of 2002 by 1k Studios when idiosyncratic guitarist Charlie Hunter was still working with his Quintet. Its semi-animated graphics format conveys more than a little of the whimsy and infectious spirit in the eight-string guitarist's music, even as the bios of the individual band members and production credits thoroughly cover the academic side of this project. The segment featuring Charlie solo is a great opportunity to see how he plays his custom-designed guitar. You have to marvel at what a self-deprecating musician this Bay-area native is, but never more so than on "Recess," where he refuses to show off or flaunt his technique in any way.