Charlie Hunter:

Charlie Hunter is a guitarist, producer and composer celebrated for his innovative approach to the guitar. He gained widespread recognition for his unique style of playing an eight-string guitar, which he custom-designed, allowing him to simultaneously play bass lines, melodies, and chords. Hunter currently plays 6 and 7 string guitars made by Hybrid Guitars Co. Hybrid Guitars was founded in 2015 when he teamed up with luthiers Clay Conner and Wes Lambe to produce fanned-fret instruments to his specifications.

Hunter's eclectic style seamlessly blends elements of jazz, funk, blues, and rock, creating a sound that is distinctly his own. His mastery of the guitar and his ability to navigate complex rhythms have earned him acclaim from both critics and fellow musicians alike.

Over the course of his career, Hunter has released numerous solo albums and collaborated with a diverse array of artists. He is known for his improvisational prowess, often captivating audiences with his spontaneous compositions and improvisations.

During the 2019 pandemic, Hunter turned his attention towards music production and long-distance collaborations. This led to the creation of Wheelhouse Beats, a groundbreaking metronome app featuring some of today’s most notable drummers. Furthermore, Hunter founded SideHustle Records, his personal record label and artist development house. As a staunch advocate for artist rights, he gained control of his master recordings, which he subsequently remastered and reissued. SideHustle Records’ artist development house is committed to nurturing emerging talent. Occasionally teaming up with The Little Village Foundation, a non-profit organization known for its dedication to promoting and preserving diverse cultural expressions, Hunter works to amplify new voices and talents and build a more inclusive music community. His various collaborations are instrumental in escalating the careers of many budding artists, further establishing his reputation as a producer, collaborator and mentor.

Since 2022, Hunter has done a deep dive on Arthur “Blind” Blake and shares his discoveries on his Patreon page.

In 2024, Hunter continues to work with Victoria Victoria, Kurt Elling and SuperBlue, Butcher Brown, Jubu Smith & Calvin Napper, Sam Fribush, Maritzaida and Candice Ivory.

Carter McLean:

“Carter McLean is what sports writers call a 'multi-threat'. Along with playing some serious drums, he also plays tabla, guitar, bass and piano. In addition, he’s a composer, arranger and synth programmer."
- Modern Drummer

Carter was born in San Francisco and shortly thereafter moved to Connecticut. This is where McLean listened to and fell in love with music and especially the drums. At age 10, he started his journey as a musician. Broadway wasn’t even on his radar when he started working at Manny’s Music in Manhattan just prior to 9/11. The self-taught musician had just wrapped up his studies at University of Colorado, Boulder and was hoping to land a gig with someone like Sting, Peter Gabriel or Paul Simon. But then, while working his shift and playing at the store, he got noticed by a vet of Stevie Wonder’s band Dennis Davis and got invited to play with legendary musician Roy Ayers in Harlem.  While touring with Melvin Sparks in 2002 McLean was approached to be a sub at The Lion King in NYC. This eventually lead to McLean taking over the chair at the hit show in 2011.