Ellis Marsalis with Tommy Banks Quartet Ellis Marsalis Quartet / Tommy Banks Quartet March 24, 2006 Jack Singer Concert Hall, Calgary As concerts go, this one was a history-maker. C-Jazz deserves congratulations for bringing to the same stage two of the coolest cats in jazz—American jazz legend and king of the most famous jazz dynasty in the world, Ellis Marsalis, and Canada's beloved jazz ambassador, Tommy Banks, each in quartet with stellar musicians from his own country—and presenting a double-header of two unique and highly memorable concerts within a concert. This was a full night of highlights. In Part One, Senator Banks' no-nonsense, robust playing style, along with P.J. Perry's amazing ability to wring every note imaginable out of an alto sax, created the most engaging rendition of “Georgia” I personally have enjoyed in my life. Wow! With Sandro Dominelli on drums and Mike Lent on bass, they packed more music and every nuance thereof into one tune than should be possible. While Banks stayed mainly with standards, Marsalis led with one of his own richly textured original compositions, and the group continued with less familiar selections for most of their performance. Perhaps most remarkable of the exceptions was “Sweet Georgia Brown,” reborn into a fresh ymphony of joyful sounds under the inspired playing of saxophonist Derek Douget, high-powered drumming of Adonis Rose and excellent rhythm playing of bassist Bill Huntington. Marsalis's style is elegant, eloquent and full-bodied. Its cultured depth was perfectly complemented by Huntington's bass. As if the strings were made of butter, each tender note coming from Huntington's bass embraced and molded to the soul of Marsalis's playing. Wow, again! As the thoroughly entertaining evening drew to a close, an unrehearsed duet of “The Senator's Blues” resulted in an enchanting blending of the two distinct piano voices of Marsalis and Banks that pleased the near-capacity audience in the Jack Singer Concert Hall almost to the point of delirium. A piano love-in, you might say. Try and top this one, C-Jazz! Reviewed By Sheila Thistlethwaite This Concert was recorded live for rebroadcast by

Chris Potter's Underground Tour Review: Chris Potter Underground Tour, Feb. 18/06, Quincy's, Calgary Chris Potter, leading a tremendously skilled and talented group of musicians, grabbed hold of the audience from the moment he stepped on Quincy's stage last night, and did not let go until the final note of the final tune had been thoroughly played. In the aptly named “Boots” opener, listeners were taken on a funky walk with a honking tenor sax, then launched into electronic space travel by guitar and keys. Wow! This was followed by “Celestial Nomad” in which Potter's unaccompanied long, yelling sax solo—a real crowd pleaser—glided smoothly into the decorative keyboard work of Craig Taborn and the eerie guitar melodies of Adam Rogers. Throughout the performance of numbers from Potter's newest CD,“Underground,” Nate Smith's drumming was brilliant, at times creating a drumsound that was more like chanting than percussion. What I liked most about this performance was the intricate, layered depth of sound, seemingly skipping along the surface while at the same time gripping onto a gutsy, grinding foundation. These two qualities meld and marry each other in a wonderful relationship of dimension and time. Quite a trip! Reviewed By Sheila Thistlethwaite Review: Chris Potter Underground Tour, Feb. 18/06, Quincy's, Calgary Jeremy Coates and his quartet opened the show. To see them walk on the stage prepares you somewhat for what is to come: Sheldon Zandboer walks to the double keyboard set up, Tyler Hornby settles in behind his drum kit, Richard Harding has his tenor at the ready, and Jeremy babies his electric six string bass with new strings. They are ready to funk things up. They are a bridge from our world, to theirs, to Chris Potter's. They add the groove to the jazz. All the players are solid Calgary performers with deserved reputations in their own right, and the audience appreciates seeing them together on one stage. Jeremy is clearly in love with his instrument and plays intricately at times, and holds down the groove at others. He plays with echoes of Jaco, but entirely modern at the same time. Harding, on tenor, takes on the formidable task of playing the same night as Chris Potter with gusto and talent. Zandboer adds a cool vibe to the group with his double barreled funky style. Hornby and Coates have a great interaction and take turns holding down the rhythm while the other gets a little more intricate. But let's be honest, the crowd is here for the erstwhile wunderkind, Chris Potter . Marion McPartland, so the story goes, took notice of him at the age of 15, and wanted to record with him then, but had to wait until he was done school. By the time he was 26, he was playing all-star gigs with the likes of Dave Holland, John Scofield, and Jack DeJohnette. He's no up-and-comer any more. The house on Saturday was full of people and expectation. The crowd was a wonderful mix of young fan/musicians, seasoned jazz scenesters, knowledgeable aficionados, and local players. They were not disappointed. The group has edge. It starts with funk, establishes melody & groove, gets edgy—squawky even—and takes us as willing hostages to their jazz lair. The show is like Potter—dynamic. It's moody. Then, poppy. Then, pure jazz. And always back to the funk. The concert reflects Potter's wide ranging musical listening interests—even finishing the show with a fantastic jazz-funk version of a Joni Mitchel tune. The ballads were introspective yet enticing, avoiding repetition while slowing down the melody enough to allow the audience to share his emotions in their own way. The fast tempo tunes are still musically engaging, but never lose their drive. The transitions and arrangements within the pieces were creative, musical, adventurous, and thoroughly jazz. Potter put together an amazing group. Remarkably, it's the same line up as on his latest release, Underground, except without guitarist Wayne Krantz. Adam Rogers ably does double duty. This means that, not only does the disk reproduce what we hear at the concert, but also (and more importantly), the group is familiar with the piece—and each other. There is a fantastic chemistry which adds that extra value on top of the simple fact that they are all fantastic players. The amazing drummer Nate Smith encourages the band in their rhythmic adventures. He lays down a solid rhythmic grid. The beat may be complex or pop, may have a blues groove, or may break out into free form. He can play subtly or command cadence leadership on a particularly funky riff. With a drummer of this caliber, the absence of a bassist is not noticed. Craig Taborn, on the 88 key Rhodes is both rhythmically daring & funky at the same time. He makes great use of the sounds available to him, and avoids the clichés of many electro-fusion keyboardists. While he clearly enjoys playing on the groovy 70's sound audiences have come to expect from the instrument, he enjoys regular departures, playing angular jazz melodies, moody aural background texture, experimental sound qualities and chords. Guitarist, Adam Rogers is the latest addition to the group. He brings talent and wide musical interests; he's played with performers as diverse as Steely Dan, Terence Blanchard, Elvis Costello, and Nora Jones. He takes advantage of all sounds of his instrument and its equipment--bass, acoustic, electric, and ephemeral space sounds when the mood hits. Chris Potter does not simply command his instrument; he commands his music. He does not look to the jazz canon to decide what to play or how. He uses musical experience, knowledge, and interest to inform his selection and arrangement of pieces, as well as his playing. His varied arrangements sometimes surprise and perplex, sometimes soothe and hand the music on a platter (or CD in this case!). His solos are innovative and precise, yet angular and bold enough to intrigue even seasoned jazz listeners. Potter is a fantastically gifted sax man; that's been true for some time now. What strikes a spectator is how thoroughly entertaining and innovative the show is. He's pulled together an ensemble which truly has no single star, yet awes us with its stellar talent. These are players who impress with their solos, but entertain with their well-arranged and well-prepared pieces. It is a constellation of talent which reminds people why we pay for live musical events—the excitement. Reviewed by Anthony Appleby Review: Chris Potter Underground Tour, Feb. 18/06, Quincy's, Calgary Potter is surely a tour-de-force. And not just him. Four first tier musicians touring and playing very well. Potter is relentless with ideas and he has absorbed a huge number of influences. I was uncertain about the Fender Rhodes but Taborn avoided the 60's cliche's and altogether the performance worked very well. Some of it was seriously loud but there were some gorgeous quieter pieces as well. Potter is fine composer too. Memorable, lyrical and certainly, at times, demanding. Performances like the Potter show set the bar very high. The ingredients for exciting live music require a working touring band and a significant intellect like Potter to mold and shape the esthetic provided by the sidemen. There was never any doubt who was calling the shots. The sidemen were on side with Potter's demands though. Clearly they knew that valuable music was happening. Also, the Potter band has determined how to handle the vagarities of the one night stand. It is almost as though the circumstances make the music even better. The audience was listening, attentive and appreciative. No wonder. The purple patch was on display. Potter's patch has been evident for some years now. His confidence comes from a serious work ethic, no question. Reviwed by Gordon Hilton Fick Have a review of your gig you'd like to see posted? Email cjazz@nucleus.com