Charlie Hunter is a rare specimen in the guitar world. His main instrument is a bass/guitar hybrid, with which he sounds like two players, sometimes like three.
His style incorporates jazz, soul, blues, funk, Latin and other grooves, along with their requisite melodies and harmonies. He nails them all. Such expertise has put him in a position to play with a wide variety of musicians coming from a broad array of styles.
His Southwest Virginia fans have been able to hear him cross that expanse over the past decade or so in shows at Jefferson Center, the old Kirk Avenue Music Hall, 5 Points Music Sanctuary and the town of Floydâs Small Town Summer event. When he returns to Floyd on Thursday, as part of a trio opening for Americana singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah, heâll be doing something he hasnât done previously in this neck of the woods â sacred steel guitar music.
Acts scheduled at a new Smith Mountain Lake-area venue include Jerry Douglas Band, Paul Thorn. Tad Dickens / The Roanoke Times
For about 15 years, venue manager Gary Jackson has been right in the middle of the Southwest Virginia music scene.
A year at 202 Market led to about eight at Kirk Avenue Music Hall, then nearly six at Rocky Mountâs municipal venue, Harvester Performance Center, for the D.C.-area transplant. The latter job came to an end when Jackson announced his retirement in January. But Jackson is not through putting on concerts.
As his relationship with Rocky Mount was ending, a new one was emerging a half-hour away. Developer Dennis Crumpler, who owns The Coves at Smith Mountain Lake in Union Hall, brought on Jackson to book and promote shows at his waterfront community.
Jefferson Center has someone new to book its shows. The Spot on Kirk is looking for a new venue manager.
The common denominator is Jamie Cheatwood, who is taking over as programming manager at Jefferson Center. Cheatwood, who for the past couple of years has been venue manager at The Spot on Kirk, also runs the nonprofit Bazaar of Roanoke and has promoted multiple independent rock shows in the region over the past dozen years.
âIâm very excited to expand on the work Iâve been doing by joining Jefferson Centerâs team, but The Spot is and always has been very important to me, even predating my employment there,â said Cheatwood, who booked shows and volunteered at the Kirk Avenue venue before the nonprofit hired her in 2019.