Chris Potter Quartet
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Chris Potter Quartet is billed for the 10 p.m. set at Village Vanguard on December 29. The bill names the quartet but provides no individual personnel, guest, repertoire, release, tribute, or other program detail. It is the later of the Vanguard’s two nightly sets, in the club’s triangular basement room, where the stage sits at the point of the room and tables fan out from it.
The supplied material identifies the act only as Chris Potter Quartet. It does not give a hometown, describe Potter’s musical background or the group’s history, name collaborators, or quote reviews. It also does not specify whether this quartet is a standing band or a project assembled for this engagement. What is clear is the setting: the Vanguard holds 123 listeners, its walls carry portraits of jazz legends, and the room asks for silence before the music begins, so the late set is presented without distractions.
A narrow basement staircase leads to a triangular room with a red curtain and a stage at the point, where musicians play for a small audience of 123. Tables open like spokes from the stage, and the walls hold portraits of jazz legends. The acoustics are excellent, and the only sound before the music begins is the hum of the room. No food is served, only drinks at a bar. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., with seating beginning at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively. The atmosphere is focused entirely on the music, with silence requested before the concert begins.