Charlie Hunter
With a career spanning 16 years and almost 20 albums, Charlie Hunter consistently ups his game as an innovative writer and bandleader. He has worked with the likes of Norah Jones , Mos Def, John Mayer, D’Angelo and countless others. He is widely considered the authority on the seven and eight - string guitar, and continues to stun audiences with his ability to simultaneously bust out tasty bass parts, melodic leads and swinging rhythms.
Hunter has previously recorded for the venerable Blue Note label, Concord, Ropeadope, GroundUP and others. His recent independent venture is steered by his motivation to release music that most inspires him. Critics have touted his genius technique, but it's his profound artistic sensibility that propels his original music. Hunter's signature style of writing and performing has secured his place as one of today's great guitarists.
Learn more at https://charliehunter.com
Casey Noel
Casey Noel’s timeless, captivating music will remind you of the many ways songs can enrich a life. A skilled singer-songwriter crystallizes the grace of a moment, honors and beautifies sadness, gives wings to something tender, something fun – something longing for flight. Casey’s work, gathered for the first time on her Americana-tinged debut release Not Just Pretty Words, does all of the above and more.
24-year-old Casey has been on an artist’s path most of her life, though this hasn’t always been apparent. The initial spark was an act of generosity from someone who recognized promise in a very young Casey: her Costa Rican grandfather, who gifted his 5-year-old granddaughter with a Spanish guitar. Although lessons in classical technique followed, honing Casey’s fingerpicking skills for what was to come, the budding guitarist’s primary passion from age 8 to 17 was actually competitive ballroom dancing. “But then I realized I lived in North Carolina,” she says. “And no guys here dance. So I started focusing on playing guitar.”
Soon after Casey switched from classical to steel string acoustic – a game changing turn of events – her mother, Olga, insisted she sing for her guitar teacher, Kevin Dollar. A seasoned music professional, Dollar would prove to be another generous, pivotal figure. Not only was he impressed with his longtime student’s voice, he saw something more beneath the surface. Dollar encouraged 17-year-old Casey to try songwriting, which had not occurred to her. “I didn’t know anything about the business,” Casey says. “I didn’t know about shows other than arena shows, or even the concept of a singer-songwriter. It took me a while to have confidence in myself to write songs that I thought people might want to come hear me play. But when others told me I could do it, I kept at it.”
While attending college, Casey devoted ever more energy to her muse – writing, learning to trust her instincts, venturing into a recording environment, and eventually playing100-plus dates a year, wherever and whenever. All the while, her self-assurance grew. And of course, life played out, like it does, with love, loss, wonder and hope – all the stuff of great songs.
Learn more at https://caseynoelmusic.com
