|
| |
|
|
CHRIS POTTER
Cooking with fusion
|
|
|
|
|
On the heels of the release of his latest CD, Lift (Verve), a superb display of post-bop acoustic jazz, saxophonist Chris Potter has switched gears and taken an electric jazz-funk quartet on the road. It’s a bold, even risky, move: though he’s played electric keyboards as a sideman in some of trumpeter Dave Douglas’s recent projects, Potter’s own work as a leader is overwhelmingly acoustic, with the exception of parts of Gratitude (Verve, 2000) and an early album with organist Larry Goldings. But his foray into fusion with Craig Taborn on Fender-Rhodes electric piano, Adam Rogers on guitar, and Nate Smith on drums retained the integrity, freedom, and complexity of all his other projects when the band, just a week into their tour, played Scullers a week ago Thursday. The opening "Big Top" drifted in on the pastel hues of the Fender-Rhodes and cymbal washes before Potter’s snaky theme slithered in over Smith’s powerful groove. Rogers, who battled technical difficulties with his amp and pedals all evening, built up the tension in his solo, spooling out a series of tightly related lines that climaxed with an energized series of hard, bright chords. Taborn, who was consistently exciting, bounced ping-ponging phrases against Smith’s clattered snare patterns in a tightly coiled solo. His solo on the next tune, "Underground," had a boxer’s grace, with jabbing and darting phrases peppering the medium-slow groove. Potter’s own solo on "Underground" also had a certain athleticism, with his lines sprinting from one end of the tenor’s range to the other. Funky riffs that hugged the groove anchored passages of twisting lines that bristled with jagged phrases and wide harmonic leaps. On the set’s third number, an untitled ballad, Potter’s expressive inflections of tone and color deepened the emotional impact of his solo. And on the concluding "Goodnik," he ripped through several time signatures, bursting into some gloriously swinging moments during a section in 6/8. The electrified sound didn’t always work to Potter’s advantage. At times, he strained after a funky hook or a groovy lick, and because of the high volume, he couldn’t always use the inflections of tone that add subtlety to his playing. The material is new and the band are still feeling their way into it, but the set’s successes suggested the immense potential of this group.
BY ED HAZELL
|
