Chris
Potter (tenor and soprano saxophones); Bill Frisell (guitar); Burniss Travis
(bass); Nate Smith (drums); Rane Moore (clarinet); Zekkereya El-magharbel
(trombone); Sara Caswell (violin)
I’ve long been a fan of Chris Potter and he’s assembled quite a team for this project. Although a septet, it sounds more like a small big band when everyone plays in unison. The album is inspired by the raid on an arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia led by John Brown (he whose body lies a moulderin’ in the grave whilst his soul goes marching on), who intended to use the weapons to start a slave revolt.
I have long thought that albums such as this, inspired by important
political moments, always struggle in the absence of words, and, without some
splenetic fury in the music, the meaning and the anger is not always
effectively conveyed. Potter provides background to the events and the titles
of the tunes in his sleeve notes, but, when all is said and done the music
stands or falls on its own. On this occasion stand it does. There is some
excellent writing, wonderful ensemble playing and quite dazzling soloing on the
album, not least by Potter himself. As
well as passion and power, there is melancholy, especially in the mournful This Earth Would Have No Charms For Me as
finely picked guitar, clarinet and violin lament the death of one who was
killed in the raid before Potter’s vibrant solo turns the piece into a
celebration of the life lived.
The music, itself, includes borrowings from the nineteenth century,
contemporary swing, driving urban urgency and some mellow sixties vibes with a
nod to Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra in the closing piece Alive With Ghosts Today 2. It all hangs
together wonderfully, whilst Potter is the front man, he happily surrenders the
prominence to others, especially Frisell who provides cascades of glistening
notes and knotty solos all across the album.
A very good album that will feature in a lot of ‘Top Tens’, (mine included) at the end of the year. Dave Sayer
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