Bluenose jazz loyalists doubtless hate him, but the Bay Area's Charlie Hunter is one of the music's saviors for the '90s. With his customized eight-stringed guitar in hand, Hunter essays the greasy glories of early '60s jazz funk, serving as guitarist, bassist, and de facto organist in these groove-driven gems abetted by Dave Ellis' ripe tenor saxophone and Jay Lane's concise, funky drumming. Acid jazz has understandably adopted Hunter as a leading light, but this music has more chops, heart, and reach--earning him the right to stand alongside better-known jazz and funk masters as a confident, compelling original. Infectious grooves prevail, and even Kurt Cobain gets funked up on a breezy and inventive deconstruction of "Come As You Are." --Sam Sutherland