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Editorial Reviews
Review
In a rare move, saxophonist Chris Potter has released two CDs on the same day, and on the same label Song For Anyone, his first album for a large ensemble; and Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard, featuring the Underground band that s been touring for the past couple of years. Risky, perhaps, but Potter s significance the clear torch-carrier for the recently departed Michael Brecker continues to grow, and is one of a limited number of artists who can actually pull it off.
Potter s discography has been getting better with each passing year, but Underground (Sunnyside, 2006) was a true watershed, where conception, composition and performance came together for the most distinctive and fully realized album of his career. Follow the Red Line is even better, featuring the same group but with guitarist Adam Rogers in place of Wayne Krantz, whose sharp attack and oblique lines were amongst Underground s defining points. Those only familiar with Rogers largely acoustic Criss Cross discs, including 2005 s Apparitions, may be surprised to hear him kick such serious butt here, but those who ve heard his mid-1990s work with Lost Tribe know that he s undeniably capable of this kind of electrified, rock- and funk-edged music.
The gentle opening fanfare of Train starts the set on a lyrical and subdued note, but it s not long before drummer Nate Smith kicks in with a visceral funk groove, bolstered by Craig Taborn s uncannily dichotomous Fender Rhodes. Potter takes the first solo, building from ground zero to the stratosphere and demonstrating the kind of paradoxical blend of restraint and reckless abandon that makes his extended solos not just consistently captivating, but exhilarating. The same goes for Rogers, whose solo begins in melodic simplicity, but quickly takes off with a raucous energy and linear invention that s the main reason why he, along with Ben Monder, are two of New York s most in-demand guitarists across a wide swatch of styles. His tone is dense and sustaining, with a punchy attack and, like Potter, has an ability to milk the simplest of vamps for all it s worth.
Taborn gets to do the same thing during the unrelenting, single-chord vamp that s at the core of Arjuna, with Rogers soul-drenched single-line anchoring hand-in-glove with Smith s loose and unyieldingly responsive groove. Pop Tune #1 offers a brief respite; a countrified ballad where Roger s rich, sustaining chords support Potter s singable melody before taking a blues-drenched lead. Rogers builds dramatically, only to suddenly dissolve as Potter morphs the tune into another lengthy and funk-laden vamp where everyone raises the temperature during his blistering and idea-filled solo.
It s an exercise in futility to find a name for the music of Follow the Red Line. But as Potter blurs the lines between jazz, rock, funk and even a little afro-beat in ways that are finally being accepted again two decades after The New York Times declared the pestilence known as fusion is dead, the best word to describe this recording is, quite simply, great. - John Kelman --AllAboutJazz.com - Sept. 4, 2007
Potter s discography has been getting better with each passing year, but Underground (Sunnyside, 2006) was a true watershed, where conception, composition and performance came together for the most distinctive and fully realized album of his career. Follow the Red Line is even better, featuring the same group but with guitarist Adam Rogers in place of Wayne Krantz, whose sharp attack and oblique lines were amongst Underground s defining points. Those only familiar with Rogers largely acoustic Criss Cross discs, including 2005 s Apparitions, may be surprised to hear him kick such serious butt here, but those who ve heard his mid-1990s work with Lost Tribe know that he s undeniably capable of this kind of electrified, rock- and funk-edged music.
The gentle opening fanfare of Train starts the set on a lyrical and subdued note, but it s not long before drummer Nate Smith kicks in with a visceral funk groove, bolstered by Craig Taborn s uncannily dichotomous Fender Rhodes. Potter takes the first solo, building from ground zero to the stratosphere and demonstrating the kind of paradoxical blend of restraint and reckless abandon that makes his extended solos not just consistently captivating, but exhilarating. The same goes for Rogers, whose solo begins in melodic simplicity, but quickly takes off with a raucous energy and linear invention that s the main reason why he, along with Ben Monder, are two of New York s most in-demand guitarists across a wide swatch of styles. His tone is dense and sustaining, with a punchy attack and, like Potter, has an ability to milk the simplest of vamps for all it s worth.
Taborn gets to do the same thing during the unrelenting, single-chord vamp that s at the core of Arjuna, with Rogers soul-drenched single-line anchoring hand-in-glove with Smith s loose and unyieldingly responsive groove. Pop Tune #1 offers a brief respite; a countrified ballad where Roger s rich, sustaining chords support Potter s singable melody before taking a blues-drenched lead. Rogers builds dramatically, only to suddenly dissolve as Potter morphs the tune into another lengthy and funk-laden vamp where everyone raises the temperature during his blistering and idea-filled solo.
It s an exercise in futility to find a name for the music of Follow the Red Line. But as Potter blurs the lines between jazz, rock, funk and even a little afro-beat in ways that are finally being accepted again two decades after The New York Times declared the pestilence known as fusion is dead, the best word to describe this recording is, quite simply, great. - John Kelman --AllAboutJazz.com - Sept. 4, 2007
Product Description
A part of the jazz tradition is the live recording, and Manhattan's fabled Village Vanguard is the brook of fire through which every improviser must pass. That said, Follow the Red Line / Live at the Village Vanguard shows that Potter has come through the burning sands of that venue s bandstand in flying colors. Backed by an intriguing, piano-less quartet composed of Detroit's Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes electric piano, drummer Nate Smith, and guitarist Adam Rogers, Potter prances and dances on six extended-length excursions. Train leads off the set with some serious Staz-on-steroids swing, followed by the subcontinental syncopations of Arjuna, named for the Indian prince in the Indian literary classic, the Mahabharata. Pop Tune #1 is laced with some up-south downbeats in three, graced by Smith's tangy solo, while Viva Las Vilnius dances with Carib-cadences, contrasted by the hymnal hues of Zea. The disc closes on the powerful, Afrobeat anthemed Togo a propulsive ode to the delightful West African nation that Duke Ellington saluted in one of his last major suites. Here, Potter's in-the-pocket bass clarinet solo and accompaniment is an Africanized summation of that instrument s major voices from Eric Dolphy to Bennie Maupin, equaled only by Taborn's impossible keyboard solo.
Chris Potter s synthesis of the saxophone, flute and bass clarinet masters, and his ability to mold them into his own sound started with his first instrument, the piano, when he grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. He moved there after he was born in Chicago on New Years Day, 1971. He later switched to saxophone after he heard alto sax legends Paul Desmond, and Johnny Hodges. He was a professional by the time he was fourteen, and four years later, he moved to New York, enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music, and joined bop trumpeter Red Rodney's quintet until 1994. He also worked with Jazz Mentality and guitarist John Hart. His other prominent gigs as a sideman include work with Marian McPartland on her 1993 CD, In My Life, and with Renee Rosnes, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, John Patitucci, Dave Douglas, Steve Swallow, and Kenny Werner. He also toured with Steely Dan and recorded on their 2000 recording, Two Against Nature.
Potter's first CD as a leader, Presenting Chris Potter was released on the Criss Cross label in 1992. His other recordings of note include Concentric Circles (Concord Jazz, 1993), Vertigo (Concord Jazz, 1998), Gratitude (Verve 2001), Traveling Mercies (Verve, 2002), and his first two sides for Sunnyside, Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard (2004), and Underground (2006). The reedman s gifts have also been noted by the critics, as evidenced by his winning of Denmark's esteemed Jazzpar Prize in 2000 the youngest to ever win the award.
Chris Potter s synthesis of the saxophone, flute and bass clarinet masters, and his ability to mold them into his own sound started with his first instrument, the piano, when he grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. He moved there after he was born in Chicago on New Years Day, 1971. He later switched to saxophone after he heard alto sax legends Paul Desmond, and Johnny Hodges. He was a professional by the time he was fourteen, and four years later, he moved to New York, enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music, and joined bop trumpeter Red Rodney's quintet until 1994. He also worked with Jazz Mentality and guitarist John Hart. His other prominent gigs as a sideman include work with Marian McPartland on her 1993 CD, In My Life, and with Renee Rosnes, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, John Patitucci, Dave Douglas, Steve Swallow, and Kenny Werner. He also toured with Steely Dan and recorded on their 2000 recording, Two Against Nature.
Potter's first CD as a leader, Presenting Chris Potter was released on the Criss Cross label in 1992. His other recordings of note include Concentric Circles (Concord Jazz, 1993), Vertigo (Concord Jazz, 1998), Gratitude (Verve 2001), Traveling Mercies (Verve, 2002), and his first two sides for Sunnyside, Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard (2004), and Underground (2006). The reedman s gifts have also been noted by the critics, as evidenced by his winning of Denmark's esteemed Jazzpar Prize in 2000 the youngest to ever win the award.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Chris Potter is one of my favourite saxophonists of all time. I'm also lucky enough to have seen a live performance (by another musician) at The Village Vanguard in NYC for myself. A friend took me there back in the 90s. I can thus easily picture in my head, what the gigs that led to this album might have been like. They must've been electrifying.
This six-tune set recorded live at the Vanguard over two dates in February of 2007, is fresh, exciting and bursting with energy and while not Potter's best album as far as I'm concerned (I personally prefer his studio sound), is definitely one of the best live jazz albums I've heard in a while. Apart from Potter himself of course, who plays tenor saxophone and bass clarinet and is always amazing, I am particularly impressed by Adam Rogers on guitar - unusually, he has a very individual sound that doesn't remind me of any of the better known contemporary guitarists - and Craig Taborn on the Fender Rhodes. Things sound a bit hectic here and there as they often do during live performances but most of the time, nothing but magic shines through. I love all the tunes (the Ed Blackwell-penned "Togo", the only one Potter didn't write incidentally, is my overall favourite) but I wasn't exactly overjoyed at the way "Pop Tune #1" morphed from a beautiful ballad into a so-so dance tune halfway through.
A minor quibble though, I suppose, with what is undoubtedly, an outstanding CD overall. Five stars.
This six-tune set recorded live at the Vanguard over two dates in February of 2007, is fresh, exciting and bursting with energy and while not Potter's best album as far as I'm concerned (I personally prefer his studio sound), is definitely one of the best live jazz albums I've heard in a while. Apart from Potter himself of course, who plays tenor saxophone and bass clarinet and is always amazing, I am particularly impressed by Adam Rogers on guitar - unusually, he has a very individual sound that doesn't remind me of any of the better known contemporary guitarists - and Craig Taborn on the Fender Rhodes. Things sound a bit hectic here and there as they often do during live performances but most of the time, nothing but magic shines through. I love all the tunes (the Ed Blackwell-penned "Togo", the only one Potter didn't write incidentally, is my overall favourite) but I wasn't exactly overjoyed at the way "Pop Tune #1" morphed from a beautiful ballad into a so-so dance tune halfway through.
A minor quibble though, I suppose, with what is undoubtedly, an outstanding CD overall. Five stars.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Ryan Wepler
Format:Audio CD
It is tough to add a lot to the superlatives thrown around by the other reviewers, but I am so thoroughly blown away by this album that I am unable to resist registering my enthusiasm. The one thing that bears mention and hasn't been discussed enough is the sheer power of Potter's playing. Potter's solo on "Train," the album's first tune, is truly otherworldly, dynamically building in intensity over the course of more than five minutes (and his solo on "Pop Tune #1" is almost as powerful). I'm not sure whether the title of the tune is an homage to Coltrane (the spelling would suggest that it isn't), but Chris sounds more like Coltrane here than anyone I've ever heard. However, the rest of the band is like nothing Coltrane ever played with. Adam Rogers' guitar fulfills the simultaneous function of a guitarist and a bassist, adding funk to the music and giving it the feel of a jam session or even, at times, a garage band, a feel that is augmented by Nate Smith's heavily rock 'n roll style drumming. The key for these musicians is that the tunes are open enough to allow Potter a great deal of solo space, which he takes advantage of with a combination of intensity and virtuosity that is unparalleled in anything I have heard recently (Taborn and Rogers' solos aren't too shabby either). If you own five jazz albums recorded this decade, this should be one of them.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A. Dumont
Format:Audio CD
Once you put this album in your mp3 or CD player, you just can't stop listening to it again and again. The more you listen to it, the more you enjoy it. Great compositions, well played. In my opinion, clearly the best jazz album of 2007.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best
The rest of the reviews give you the details if you want, but only one thing really needs to be said about this album. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nicholas Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal
This is a phenomenal CD. Chris Potter is a phenomenal musician, the incarnation of Trane.
Published on March 16, 2010 by Ralph Kaplan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Desert Island CD #1
I've been listening to this since it came out over a year ago. It's simply incredible. To say the writing and playing are superb is so much of an understatement. Read more
Published on June 30, 2009 by DXX
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of The freshest New Music Being Played!
Well I imagine there's not to much more that can be said about how great this album is that hasn't already been said by others but here I go anyway. Read more
Published on June 19, 2009 by Jonathan Guarriello
5.0 out of 5 stars
Are you Kidding?
Good God. I didn't think I could like Chris Potter anymore than I did after Lift. But the magnitude of some of these tracks is simply staggering. Read more
Published on October 21, 2008 by James Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chris Potter & Underground - Follow the Red line
This a wonderful live recording of a real powerhouse tenor player and some of the best young musicians around. Read more
Published on May 18, 2008 by Bobby Tenorman
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMONG THE BEST JAZZ LIVE ALBUMS OF MODERN JAZZ
JUST A FEW WORDS FOR THIS LIVE MASTERPIECE.AWESOME AND EXPLOSIVE .MUSIC WILL EXPLAIN MUCH BETTER HERE THAN WORDS.AMONG THE BEST JAZZ LIVE ALBUMS OF MODERN JAZZ .
Published on April 27, 2008 by K. Prousalis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Follow the Red Line
Follow the Red Line - Live at the Village Vanguard
This is an excellent recording. The playing is masterful and world class and marries the sense of groove from popular music... Read more
This is an excellent recording. The playing is masterful and world class and marries the sense of groove from popular music... Read more
Published on December 17, 2007 by John P. Sokal
5.0 out of 5 stars
Innovative Excellence
Chris Potter's Follow the Red Line CD is a phenomenon. First rate innovation throughout. I urge you to buy this one!
Published on December 2, 2007 by B. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind-blowing
Pop Tune #1 is probably epitomizes JAZZ-FUNK better than any other song I've ever heard. Chris Potter never disappoints.
Published on December 1, 2007 by Brian
