Chris Potter is a highly talented tenor and soprano saxophonist who mustn’t be missed for anyone who has even just a passing interest in Jazz. Although his name might not be familiar to those outside jazz circles the stellar musicians that appear with him first collaborated with him thirty years ago - it is hard to believe! They are pianist BRAD MEHLDAU, double bassist JOHN PATITUCCI and BRIAN BLADES, Charles LLOYD’s drummer of choice. Speaking to JAZZWISE magazine, Potter comments that working on “Eagle’s Point” (released on 8th March) was “deeply inspiring given the profound artistry and emotional depth they infuse into every note.”
It can be listened to in its entirety on BANDCAMP and the title track may, in my opinion, become a classic of modern Jazz, in much the same way as MILES DAVIS’s ‘So What’. It would be unfair to pick out too many individual tracks as “Eagle’s Point” is uniformly brilliant, a modern jazz classic. But I will indulge myself by mentioning a couple: ‘Indigo Ildikó’ simply because of the surprise appearance of bass clarinet and the final track ‘Horizon Dances’ where all that is great about this quartet is revealed; Mehldau’s breathtaking piano solo, the jaw-dropping intricacy of the bass playing and drumming, and of course Potter’s sax! The chemistry between the band is exceptional, combining to create a memorable musical tapestry that will be talked about for many years to come, and Chris Potter’s compositional skills have become so finely honed, drawing inspiration from the other musicians, that the only way I can find to describe “Eagle’s Point” is that it is thoroughly engaging, music that moves beyond virtuosity to move the heart as well as the head.
Please visit www.editionrecords.com for information about purchasing.