Potter first came to my notice, at age 20, in a fine quintet led by Ryan Kisor. Since then he has impressed with Red Rodney, Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band and with the Mingus Big Band. Still in his early twenties, his albums as leader are now showing him as a well-rounded musician.
This latest release has seven useful Potter compositions with Salome’s Dance and Distant Present especially pleasing. His purely solo reading of Every Time confirms him as a thoughtful improviser and a player comfortable with his own rhythmic projection. The introduction of Grenadier and Foster does no harm and there is even greater authority in Potter’s tenor work on Boogie Stop and Easy To Love. The estimable Golding contributes fully on Bad Guys and Salome’s Dance and there are neat contributions from Hart and Grenadier to flesh out Distant Present and Easy To Love respectively. The way in which Potter’s tenor takes its time on That’s What I Said suggests that this young man is maturing faster than seems decent.
Discography
(3) Salome’s Dance; (2) Checking Out; (4) Resonance; (3) Bad Guys; (2) Boogie Stop Shuffle; (3) Second Thoughts; (2) That’s What I Said; (4) Fool On The Hill; (2) Bonnie Rose; Easy To Love; (4) The Distant Present; (1) Every Time We Say Goodbye (60.41)
(1) Potter (as, ts, ss, bcl, f). New York. June 14 & 15, 1994. (2) as (1) plus Larry Grenadier (b); Al Foster (d). (3) as (2) plus Larry Goldings (org, p). (4) as (3) plus John Hart (g, elg).
(Concord CCD 4637)
