Song For Anyone

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Total Tracks: 10   Total Length: 72:54

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Britt Robson

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Britt Robson has written about jazz for Jazz Times, downbeat, the Washington Post and many other publications over the past 30 years. He currently writes regula...more »

04.22.11
Celebrated saxophonist's coming-out party.
Label: Sunnyside Records

Chris Potter the protean saxophonist achieved full flower on Lift, the live disc from 2004. In similar fashion, Song for Anyone is Potter's coming-out party as a first-rate composer, featuring ten songs that collectively are far more intricate and enveloping than any group of originals on his past discs. Nodding more toward Aaron Copland and Charles Ives than Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, the 36-year-old Potter utilizes trios of strings (violin, cello, viola), woodwinds (bassoon, clarinet, flute) and rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) for lyrical counterpoint, innovative harmonies and textures and an episodic blend of jazz and classical chamber music.

By jazz standards, the solos are few, but there is a wealth of highlighted interaction. For example, “Chief Seattle” features a simmer-to-boil exchange between Potter's tenor and bassist Scott Colley, followed by some pizzicato prancing from the strings and then a fiery confab between violinist Mark Feldman and drummer Adam Cruz. There are graceful tableaux such as the beautiful, folkloric “Family Tree” (featuring bassoonist Mark Rabinowitz) and the stately coda, “All in All,” and thorny, dissonant moments like the middle sections (afternoon rush hours?) of “The Arc of the Day,” which nods to the swirling… read more »

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They Say All Music Guide

In past recordings, Chris Potter has dedicated several of them to his heroes and influences, reflecting the diversity of his style and how he loves the tenor saxophonists who came before him. Though the title of this one is Song for Anyone, referring to those who may have passed away in either anonymity or eulogized, this CD is not necessarily dedicated to a nebulous “them.” It is played and acknowledged as such directly for Michael Brecker, thus taking on a somber overall tone, accented by woodwinds and strings, making for an at times reflective and humbling requiem for the late contemporary jazz superstar. Melancholy moods begin immediately on “The Absence” as Potter’s sax and the flute of Erica VonKleist set the mood immediately. VonKleist is a major player on this recording as her pastoral tones build powerfully and subside during “Closer to the Sun,” and contrast with Potter’s whimsical and inquisitive themes for the light funk chamber piece “Chief Seattle.” The strings accent the modal horn lines for “Against the Wind,” while the interactive “Family Tree” is a song of repast and memories, featuring the throaty bassoon of Michael Rabinowitz. A pensive, thoughtful piece, “The Arc of a Day” reflects a frame of mind involved with shock, juxtaposed against the drum inserts of Adam Cruz, then turns into a sheer free and anguished frenzy. “Cupid & Psyche” is a purposefully disjointed number, mysterious and elusive emotionally, while the final piece, “All by All” has a country blues or “Shenandoah Waltz” feel, and is a rustic selection. The string players meld well, not as an afterthought, but as the straw that stirs the drink. Rabinowitz, clarinetist Greg Tardy, violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Scott Colley, and guitarist Steve Cardenas are all truly outstanding players, leaders in their own right, and contribute a rich harmonious sheen to this well conceived and executed music. A departure from Potter’s small group efforts, this project is close to perfect, and considering his high-level output, may be the highlight of his discography. Everyone should hear Song for Anyone. – Michael G. Nastos

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