Chris Potter Quartet
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Chris Potter brings his quartet to Village Vanguard for the 10 p.m. set. The billed group is led by Potter on tenor saxophone; no individual personnel are listed for this date. It is a late-night quartet performance in the Vanguard’s triangular basement room, where the stage sits beneath the red curtain and the audience is asked to settle into silence before the music begins.
Potter is known as a technically formidable tenor saxophonist and improviser. A previous Village Vanguard quartet, documented on Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard, featured an acoustic repertoire that moved among modern standards, folk themes, blues and gospel. Couleurs Jazz called Potter “one of the most exciting saxophonists on the American and international scene,” while Glide Magazine described him as “one of the premiere saxophonists of the past two decades.” Reviewing that live recording, Glide singled out the quartet’s intense soloing and spiritual peaks, while observing that the album may give more room than necessary to drum solos.
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.