Chris Potter - Underground
In 2006 tenor colossus Chris Potter formed the fantastic 'Underground' band whose self-titled debut recording lays down his jazz fusion manifesto. Anchoring the opening 'Next Best Western' with a solid iron groove is drummer Nate Smith, with his distinctive snare drum flams. Guitarists Wayne Krantz and Adam Rogers provide very innovative comping never relapsing into dull timbres even for a moment. Craig Taborn furnishes another dimension of groove on Fender Rhodes which often establishes a polyphony and fleshes out the sonic spectrum such that we rarely notice the absence of a bass. This works even better than the sax/organ/drums combos efforts. Morning Bell, a Radiohead cover follows, a strange and meandering arrangement, with an odd resemblance to Sting's music. The pattering ride of Nate Smith keeps interest right to the end with a tender conclusion. Nudnik follows with solo tenor sax opening with extremely tight groove. Perhaps groove is where this group are industry leaders, each member of the group asserting the time as avidly and assertively as the next. Odd time signatures are effortlessly devoured as the piece develops. A mellower section has Potter still squirming to take flight with masculine power close to Brecker's. How Potter manages such inventiveness is a marvel to many musicians. Patterns flow out in abundance with clever rhythmic displacements and adept altissimo stretching the tenor's useful range. Taborn's first substantial solo then emerges with high energy and a persistent working through of ideas, all the time providing solid bass line support in the left hand. This groove then is taken up on sax and more head is shared by guitar and horn in solid unison. Always good to hear heads being played with commitment on guitar, sometimes they seem to backseat to horn players, but here the tone is full and present. Strayhorn's Lotus Blossom follows, with wonky Rhodes adaptions not dissimilar to Bojan Z's modified instrument. The beautiful song demonstrates the musicians' sensitivity and emotional maturity. Big Top clatters away at the start with Nate Smith anticipating a high energy tune. The melody weaves around before landing on some beautiful harmonic shifts. Often a section ends with a strong backbeat on the 2 before Smith denies us the expected and continues to surprise and build to a climax. These are musicians who know how to shape and develop an arrangement but also how to react within in microseconds to each other. The recording is certainly worthy of four listens, each time trying to track one of the instruments, who are always playing something notable. The Rhodes never seems to growl too much but the sound is packed with drive (just not always overdrive). Finally a triumphal beat and deep honks as Potter tenor apes a bari. Immaculately recorded, the production lets us in on every 'wah', ghost hit and breath noise. The stereo image is very satisfying before the final dominant chord. Adam Rogers the helm at The Wheel and provides groove for what is perhaps the album's most memorable tune. The sections build until Potter screams the head at us with blistering effect. Dueling guitars then take centre stage before Potter's re-entry. More spectacular deployment of the tenor's extended range keeps things very exciting. None of the solos feel overly long and the composed portions are solidly presented avoiding the chance of attention wandering. Celestial Nomad is a bit new age a title but the music is pleasing and a diversion from heavy grooves, instead opting for peculiar long oscillations and pretty lines. Potter's tone really is quite overwhelmingly good in this recording, it is stylised yet personal, full and intimate all at once. If there was a crown available Potter would be high in the pecking order to be King Sax. Title track, Underground has idiomatic lines with the bottom tenor notes belting out then spiralling round in those unpredictable shapes that are nonetheless packed with logic and direction. A bunch of modulations in the composition are briefly thrown around but they weren't necessary perhaps serving only to navigate the form. Everyone keeps grooving and keeps opening up the possibilities of simple ideas in fascinating ways. Krantz becomes the most bluesy here before the ebb and flow of the final moments. The album sadly concludes with the Beatles song Yesterday'. Why Potter chose to arrange a piece with such limited merits is beyond me, I suppose such is the legacy of Beatlemania that even musicians of superior tastes are taken in. A pitiful ending to an otherwise brilliant recording.