Search - Chris Potter :: Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard

Lift

Matthew Miller | New York, New York | 08/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wouldnt normally take the time to write anything, but I noticed a few things in other reviews (particularly in "book and music lovers" review) that i feel need to be answered. I wonder if "book and music lover" actually listened to this albulm at all. "Mr. Potter has taken a simple bit of instrumental music and labeled it jazz" he says. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Surely, he had to be listening to a different albulm, else he would have heard the amazing tenor of Potter himself (which as a saxophonist myself i appreciate all the more), which although distinctive is certainly on the lines of Coltrane. He would have heard the rythm section: solid when in the background, progresssive in their own solos. He would have heard what is possibly the most brilliant take of the Mingus classic "boogie stop shuffle" (which is amazing all the more because it is in 13/4 time and subdivided in an oscillating time signature (if your not a musician, take my word that its complex and amazing)). I fail to see how this is "simple instrumental music at all.



He then says "Sorry, but good Jazz is loaded with improvisations, and written music is but an out line". This line is particularly aggravating. How does he not realize that except for the heads of the tunes, all of the albulm is improvised. More than hour of improvised music, none of which he managed to hear.



What angers me the most however is what he says last. "Take note Smooth Jazz. You are just a tiny bit above elevator music." Now, normally, i woould agree, i cant stand smooth jazz. But (please note this) THIS IS NOT SMOOTH JAZZ! i do not understand how this albulm could possibly be misconstrued as smooth jazz. I think that just his assertion that it is smooth jazz suggests that "book and music lover" clearly has no idea what hes talking about.



This is more closely a fine work of hard bop, perhaps best in line with the later live Coltrane work (think, say, 1964). It is of course very distinctive, but it is easy to hear the strains of coltrane in Potter's solos. The pianist (Kevin Hays) reminds me particularly, when he's playing piano proper and not the synth, of McCoy Tyner, one of the other central pillars of the Classic Coltrane quartet. I can similar things about the bassist and drummer (Scott Colley and Bill stewart, respectively) but im sure you understand my point by now.



"Lift" is a solid piece of modern Jazz, particularly since so many so called jazz musicians have turned to lesser things. For any true jazz fan, this is a must have. Chris Potter himself is certainly one of, if not right next to Coltrane, one of the best tenor players of now, or any time, and there is no better way to showcase his talent then in this brilliant live performance."

What?

G. Weaver | Virginia Beach, VA | 02/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To rebuttle the supposed "Book and Music Lover" in another review...



If someone is looking for Mingus in this music, they are in absolutely the wrong place. Just because Potter plays "Boogie Stop Shuffle" doesn't mean the track or the CD will have Mingus's influence. Quite frankly, Mingus's style is one-of-a-kind and easily distinguishable from others, and Potter's is not even close... and that isn't a bad thing.



Secondly, what is this "simple bit of instrumental music?" The technique and abilities by each musician individually and as a whole unit are showcased in this album and are anything but "simple." And, when asked where the emotion is in the album, how can one NOT feel the energy of this band? From the very beginning of the heads I can feel a surge of emotion through everyone, and that's before all of the improvisation. Check out each player's interaction with one another and you will easily feel the intensity.



Furthermore, the reviewer comments that "good jazz is loaded with improvisations and the music is but an outline" and he fails to hear it in this album. Is that a joke? Does the reviewer believe that the tracks are simply written out? The composed parts of this album are but a small percentage of the overall performance and this reviewer is a fool for believing that there is no emotion, barely any improvisation, and mostly, that this in not good jazz. Chris Potter IS the future of jazz music, as shown each time he releases a new record as a band leader, and also each time he is a sideman.



This record is simply unbelievable. Purchase this for Potter in a live, more traditional setting, and then go out and purchase his latest CD "Underground" or the one previous to this, "Traveling Mercies" to see what else he is a about. All of his albums are distinctly different, but all have amazing playing and shed light to the future of the greatest, most diverse music on the planet."

A creative and singular voice catches fire on stage!

D. Jenkins | DC | 03/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The thing I love about Chris Potter (and his sometimes employer Dave Douglas) is that he tries to do distinctly different things with each album.



"Gratitude" was a tribute to the many saxophone influences who left their mark in developing Potter's distinctive sound and compositional style. It was a fantastic record that managed to capture the style of this enormously diverse collection of players (Webster, Bird, Brecker, Shorter, Joe Henderson, Ornette...even the often overlooked Eddie Harris!) and still maintained a singular voice which was unmistakably Potter's.



"Travelling Mercies" put a greater emphasis on Potter as a composer and a multi-instrumentalist, but also displayed his desire to explore the possibilities of the studio. Many tracks featured obvious (but not at all out of place) overdubs and loops, and bled into one another. Although the end result was a little uneven, it is still a fascinating record that stands up to repeat listenings. Also worth mentioning is the piano/bass clarinet rendition of the traditional hymn "Just As I Am" (erroneously credited to Willie Nelson???) which closes out the album...I mention this track in particular for its elegant simplicity, and its deeply subtle soul.



This brings me (in a very roundabout way) to "Lift" which is curious in that it is a live album which falls somewhere between his previous two studio albums. Kevin Hays' sometimes unusual, but always tasteful keyboard sounds almost make this "traditional jazz" quartet sound heavily produced at times. And the eternally creative, yet still air-tight interplay of the rhythm section would make you swear you were listening to a studio recording if you weren't holding that CD booklet in your hand that screams in bold capital letters; "LIVE"! Meanwhile, Potter's playing is acrobatic and impressive, but never in a way that is outwardly flashy or undermines the compositions or the overall effect of the ensemble...his playing here is the perfect marriage of technique and soul.



While the very dry mixing does take a slight period of adjustment, it eventually makes you feel like you are in the club with the group; and the playing is incendiary and spontaneous from the first note to the last. This quartet clearly has chemistry oozing from every hair follicle, and the set captured here is an engaging mix of distinctive, well-crafted originals and standards, that culminates in an explosive "Boogie Stop Shuffle" which simply must be heard to be believed!



"Lift" is a must-own for any fan of proficient and creative modern-jazz."