Jackson Potter

Small Things

Shifting Pardigm Records

Guitarist and composer Jackson Potter is a new name to these pages and to yours truly. Admittedly, his bandmates appearing on this sophomore recording, tenorist Troy Roberts, a core quintet member, and guest altoist Jaleel Shaw caught me attention, drawing me to this release. However, this is Potter’s coming out party. He contributes four originals of these nine with another from Roberts and four other jazz standards. Like so many musicians, Potter hails from a musical family. He learned to play guitar at the age of 10 from his father, who was introduced to music by his mother, Joyce Paul, a country singer who opened for Elvis Presley and had a hit of own, the 1969 single “Phone Call to Mama,” that rose up the country charts. In this kind of family, one has to continually strive for excellence which is what Potter did in his early twenties, placing in several Midwestern guitar competitions. Although he originally hails from St. Paul, MN, he studied at The University of Miami’s famed Frost School of Music before moving to NYC in 2021 where he has been based since.  There he performs most nights as a leader or sideman.  This is first recording since he’s moved to NYC, with his 2021 debut, “Restless” issues shortly after graduating form the Frost School.

The music finds a balance between traditional jazz and more adventurous offerings. Besides Roberts, comprising the quintet are Alex Ridout on trumpet and flugelhorn, Hamish Smith on bass, and Marcello Cardillo on drums.  Along with Shaw, vocalist Sophia Formella guests on the title track.  The lead-off track “Trams” is composed by Roberts who leads his own band, Nu Jive, that also includes a guitarist. Here he gives plenty of space to Potter to display his fluid, melodic lines. Roberts fires up with his typically fierce approach in this rather challenging, shifting piece that also features turns from bassist Smith with the head delivered in ensemble fashion from the three main melodic instruments.  The title track is also intriguing as we no have essentially a septet with Shaw and Formella’s wordless vocals serving as the seventh instrument. Potter takes a cool, unhurried solo and then moves to a stirring exchange with bassist Smith before engaging in rapid fire fret work. Shaw enters to a less frenetic tempo as the piece then builds back with intensity as the full horn section engages, over which Formella’s vocal floats.

Potter’s “Mr. M” is a straight forward post bop piece featuring strong contributions from Ridout  and Roberts while the leader is content to mostly comp before bursting forth with his lively runs. Standout track  “Background Noise” falls into the ‘adventurous’ category, rife with solos from each quintet member as the tune moves along at times rather leisurely and at others, more vigorously, giving Potter an opportunity to showcase his nimble picking and clean tone. Roberts builds his spiraling solo to soaring heights before the piece recedes to its more deliberate state. Potter’s final original is the album closer, “Sophia’s Waltz,” a far more traditional entry.

Among the four covers, the standout is the exceptionally tender reading of Jerome Kern’s late night favorite, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” where the quintet plays with sublime and gorgeous restraint, led not only by great melodic guitar work, but harmonic textures from the two horns, capped by Ridout’s expressive flugelhorn.  Victor Lewis’s “Hey, It’s Me You’re Talking To” has the quintet firing up on all cylinders, swinging hard, leaving room for drummer Smith to state his case, closing it out. They deliver Brubeck’s “The Duke” with masterful harmonics and brimming turns from Ridout, Potter, as well as the full ensemble that touch on Ellington’s penchant for the blues. Cole Porter’s ballad “Everything I Love” is rendered delicately, another example of the melodic instincts and versatility of these musicians.

Jackson Potter makes an auspicious statement, indicating solid talent as both a guitarist and composer. He’s assembled a first rate quintet as well. He is one to watch and it’s likely he will be more adventurous on next effort, offering more originals.

– Jim Hynes

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