Are you ready for some jazz?

October 26, 2004

Last night, I caught Chris Potter playing at 55 Bar, with Craig Taborn, Craig Taborn, Wayne Krantz and Nate Smith. Except for getting home after 2 AM on a Monday night, it was excellent.

Potter is one of the leading sax players on the NY scene and perhaps my favorite to listen to. He plays with a distinctive tone-- warm and rich with a bit of edge. What sets Chris apart is not his technical playing (which is excellent), but how artfully he shapes his solos to build gradually in intensity and avoids unnecessary repetition.

Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard is Potter's latest album (with a different band) and excellent.

Randomly, I ran into a high school classmate at the show, after I walked in and we ended up sitting across the table from each other.

Previously, I caught Chris lead a different band at 55 Bar last year and play as a sideman with David Binney last month.