CHRIS POTTER AND THE UNDERGROUND QUARTET, Salt Lake City Sheraton, Monday
Salt Lake went "Underground" Monday when Chris Potter and his Underground Quartet played with the Jazz in Salt Lake City series at the downtown Sheraton Hotel.
Overall, Potter and the band gave a good concert.
All four members of the band — Potter on saxophone, keyboardist Craig Taborn, drummer Nate Smith and guitarist Adam Rogers — brought creative ideas and skilled playing to the table.
Rogers in particular was a standout with his versatility on the electric guitar. His solos were creative and executed with amazing technique.
Of course, the whole Underground concept is a creative leap, bringing together electric guitar, Rhodes electric piano, drums and saxophone for a funk-based blend of styles. Hearing the group's new ideas and how they brought them together was an interesting plus of the concert.
How all these ideas came together in the actual charts had a little more fluctuation, though. For example, the group often put three players in a minimalist "holding pattern," repeating the same notes over and over, while the fourth played a solo.
This reviewer didn't like the stagnancy and found it hard to enjoy the soloist through the repetition.
On the other hand, it was fun to hear Taborn play the role of the bass on the keyboard, while filling in harmony with his right hand. And, of course, Potter's playing was also a strong point, with some amazing playing and fun, creative solos.
The concert started with "Big Top," a tune from the "Underground" album. Right out of the chute, they played with a lot of energy — pushing the limits to the point that at times it seemed as though they were on the verge of exploding — while still maintaining a sense of order.
As it turned out, it was in the high- and mid-tempo tunes in which the four were strongest. When they tried to slow things down, as with "Ladies of the Canyon" in the second half, they lost all interest and energy. The exception was the beginning of "Lotus Flower," where Rogers and Potter (playing a bass clarinet) created a beautiful, free-flowing — and captivating — duet. But the magic was lost when the other two joined in.
E-mail: rcline@desnews.com