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Chris Potter: Osawatomie Brown
Yet, it is when his formidable instrumental command is framed by equally strong compositions and imaginative arrangements that his artistry shines brightest. Alive with Ghosts Today (Edition Records) delivers the full Chris Potter trifecta: intense playing, compelling writing and sophisticated orchestration, elevating this record well beyond other albums that feature "just" amazing blowing sessions.
Performed by an ensemble of distinctive musical personalities—Bill Frisell (guitar), Rane Moore (clarinet), Zekkereya El-magharbel (trombone), Sara Caswell (violin) Burniss Travis (bass) and Nate Smith (drums)—"Osawatomie Brown" may be the finest example of how striking that trifecta can sound.
Alive with Ghosts Today, built around a suite inspired by abolitionist John Brown, uses his life as a lens through which Potter reflects on questions that remain strikingly relevant today. In both scope and ambition, this concept album recalls the large-scale narrative sweep of two of his ECM recordings The Sirens (2013) and Imaginary Cities (2015), reaffirming Potter's gifts not only as a saxophonist, but also as a composer, arranger and conceptualist.
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