Charlie Hunter, with his band, Pound for Pound, played a classy mix of jazz and funk followed by Galactic, a New Orleans funk band, at The Barns of Wolf Trap March 27.

Though only performing for an hour, the band played a range of music. The opening song grooved with a drum and vibraphone solo that showcased an extraordinary balance of improvisation and rhythm.

Wolf Trap’s starry scene of lights in the background of the stage complemented Hunter’s next song, “People.” It was softer and more bluesy than the first, which created a mellow mood – as if the band was playing outside on a sleepy summer night.

Hunter’s unique mix of sounds, which some critics have described as acid jazz or grunge jazz, started to develop with the encouragement of his mother at a young age.

“I was 12 and beginning to show the signs of someone who would probably be in and out of jail for the rest of his life, running with the wrong crowd and stuff. She figured I needed a hobby,” Hunter said in Wolf Trap literature.

Hunter also was influenced by Joe Satriani, who taught guitar lessons while Hunter grew up in Berkeley, California. Hunter’s style developed further with the influences of Charlie Parker, Charlie Christian and John Coltrane.

Because Hunter added a seventh and eighth string to the standard six-string guitar, he could play both lead and bass guitar while creating his own distinctive sound in jazz music.

Following Hunter’s performance, Galactic took the stage with a electric upbeat funk sound. The five-member band got the audience on its feet with “Funky Love Song” sung by Theryl de Clouet. The band’s rhythm, which did get the audience clapping and dancing, got monotonous at times and made one wish Hunter was still on stage.