Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard

Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard is the second live album by jazz saxophonist Chris Potter, recorded December 13th & 14th, 2002 and released on the Sunnyside label in 2004.[1] It features keyboardist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Bill Stewart.

Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard
Live album by
Chris Potter Quartet
ReleasedMay 25, 2004
RecordedDecember 13–14, 2002
VenueVillage Vanguard, NYC
GenreJazz
Length76:39
LabelSunnyside
SCC 3022
ProducerChris Potter, Louise Holland
Chris Potter chronology
Traveling Mercies
(2002)
Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard
(2004)
Underground
(2006)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [2]
The Guardian     [3]
All About Jazz     [4]

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "Potter and his quartet are taking the gift of post-bop jazz and moving into new territories tonally, harmonically, and yes, thankfully, lyrically. This is forward-thinking music that is full of emotion, swing, and sophistication. It is readily accessible for anyone willing to encounter it either historically or on its own terms. Lift is a sharp, tough, and streetwise record of a fine gig played in a jazz temple with aplomb and sass. It points in new directions and offers a solid portrait of the artist as not only a strident voice, but as a visionary as well".[2]

The Guardian 's John Fordham noted "Potter himself is often dazzling - particularly on two unaccompanied tenor sax overtures - though his muscular long lines and whirling ascents and descents occasionally substitute sound and fury for shape and contrast".[3]

All About Jazz correspondent John Kelman observed "While Potter's sheer technical prowess sometimes threatens to overpower his innate musicality, for the most part he makes statements that are well-conceived, developed and executed. Eschewing the more concept-laden work of his past couple of albums, Lift is a celebration of playing at its most pure".[4]

In JazzTimes Chris Kelsey wrote "tenor saxophonist Chris Potter’s Live at the Village Vanguard (Sunnyside) is, by any and all contemporary standards, a superb live album, thanks to some unruly ensemble work".[5]

Track listing

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All compositions by Chris Potter except where indicated

  1. "7.5" (Bill Stewart) − 14:57
  2. "What You Wish" − 13:51
  3. "Stella by Starlight" (Victor Young, Ned Washington) − 7:16
  4. "Lift" − 11:58
  5. "Okinawa" − 9:15
  6. "Boogie Stop Shuffle Sax Intro" − 4:13
  7. "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (Charles Mingus) − 15:09

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Sunnyside Records Album Entry, accessed January 8, 2018
  2. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. Chris Potter Quartet – Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Fordham, J. The Guardian Review, January 23, 2015
  4. ^ a b Kelman, J. All About Jazz Review, September 4, 2007
  5. ^ Kelsey, C. JazzTimes Review, August 2004