:)
5
By PotpiezVI
If you enjoy Brecker you will enjoy this guy....check out potters follow the red line thats another good album... just love underground it makes me :) lol. Anyways Potter is great and i recommend all his stuff..o yea this cd is great too
Takes me back to Ms. Wharf's class
5
By doubledown70
I had the misfortune of sitting next to Chris in 6th grade band class ;-). I happened to pick the alto sax as my brand new instrument to learn. Needless to say, I switched to the snare drum the next year. His talent even then was amazing and always a thrill to hear him let loose. I remember him getting called up onstage with Dizzy Gillespie at a school only concert. He is something special. Through the years I have always kept up with his music and have constantly been blown away at the range of music he creates. Kudos Chris. Underground is quite a delicious musical accomplishment.
Even better than his last one!
5
By purplemonkeyelevator
Fans of Joshua Redman's latest output will definitely want to give this disc a spin. There are similarities (beyond the obvious fact that they are saxophone led ensembles) - both are groove oriented, both are somewhat loose in arrangement but tight in performance, and both contain musicians of the highest caliber. "Underground" moves beyond Redman's most recent disc and displays more ambitious songwriting and performance, in my opinion. There is a very prevalent funk influence, and fans of "hipster" groups like Medeski, Martin, and Wood could certainly find room on their CD rack for this one. Many of the solos are overtop a vamp rather than a traditional head, leaving ample room for exploration. And with sidemen like Wayne Krantz and Adam Rogers, there is no lack of experimentation! Krantz's angular and quirky guitar solos add the perfect color to this funky mix.
Don't get me wrong - this is not some mindless foray into the Grateful Dead-type jam band circuit. The song structure may seem loose, but this is a razor-sharp production. The energy level is high, but never verges on the loss of control. An entertaining and inspirational listen!
Diversity Works
5
By uncle.toby
Chris Potter is an extremely diverse player. Again, he's recorded a fantastic album, and I'm personally a fan of these funk/jazz dates by guys that can also blow over some pretty brainy changes. Playing in a groove and developing an idea over one chord is as difficult as playing "Giant Steps," especially since you have to dodge the smooth jazz bullet. Whether "underground" refers to something not mainstream or the simple fact that a lot of NYC jazz clubs are below street level is kind of irrelavent because this music would work well in many settings and will hopefully attract some new fans.
Slick, Slick, Slick
5
By Rufie
No bass player on this album and it gooves harder than most. Dense layers of simultaneous improv become the new definition of counterpoint in tunes like "Nudnik" and "Next best Western" while simply stating the beauty of Strayhorn's "Lotus Blossom" shows their musical maturity by not overstating the melody. This album is Steve Coleman-esqe, yet refined. It must be inspiring to hear live.
Underground Masterpiece
5
By wildchuk
Bravo to Chris for bringing this underground jazz scene to our iPods! Chris plays his ass off on the entire album, taking plenty of time to showcase his band along the way (btw, this album's a must have for Wayne Krantz fans). The infectious pocket in 'Next Best Western' and the intensity of 'Big Top' will rock your face off. Chris wears his heart on his sleeve throughout 'Morning Bell' and 'Lotus Blossom'. Grab your best pair of headphones and clear your calendar for the next week, cause you're not going to want to stop this one!
ALSO-
To you people leaving bad reviews because Chris doesn't sound like he does when he's with Steely Dan and others...Quit being ignorant. This is a "Chris Potter" album, and that means he is playing what's on his heart. This is what he likes, and he's trying to share that with you. If you don't like it or can't appreciate it, don't buy it. There's no need to be rude and tell everyone you don't like this style. I don't really like rap, but I don't go around leaving bad reviews on rap albums...
Freek of nature
5
By JazzBoo
Master Potter is by far one of the the most expressive tenor performers on the planet.
His talent compairs to, if not exceeds, such greats as Coltrane, Brecker, Henderson.
This album expresses all the above with wonderfully inovative tunes.
Thanks, Mr. Potter, for sharing your talent.
its ok
2
By Elber
never heared of this guy before, not to good though
Underground
3
By Rdon
Not my scene, man. I'd rather hear him playing his other stuff with Steely Dan.
Groove oriented
4
By tonywilliams
Dig this new sound for Chris. It's moving in a different direction much like his "Traveling Mercies" did several years ago. Groove oriented with new players such as drummer Nate Smith (most recently with the Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band) and Wayne Krantz on guitar. It's a cross between jazz improv and groove oriented jams. A little more bottom end with the electirc bass and Nate using a larger bass drum to get that "thump" going rather than typical jazz bass drum "whack" (sounding more like a tom).
Only have listened to it once through but I like interaction between Chris and Wayne as the guitar has a harder edge to it than mainstream jazz guitarists. And not a "smooth jazz" cd either.
