Chris Potter - Pure (1994)

This album finds Chris Potter boldly departing from the traditional jazz script. Overdubbing multiple woodwind harmony lines on "Salome's Dance," "Checking Out," and Al Foster's "Bonnie Rose," Potter opts for a more layered sound than that heard on most jazz records. Larry Goldings' organ and John Hart's guitar (both acoustic and electric) contribute other unexpected textures in Potter's music. Goldings plays piano -- not his usual instrument -- on the ballad "Resonance," the pretty waltz "Second Thoughts," and the cleverly re-harmonized Beatles classic "Fool on the Hill."

Amid the album's surprises, there are direct nods to straight-ahead jazz -- hard-swinging trio renditions of Charles Mingus' "Boogie Stop Shuffle," Cole Porter's "Easy to Love," and Potter's own "That's What I Said." Bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Al Foster are characteristically solid and swinging. The final track, an unaccompanied alto solo on Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye," is a beautiful touch. -- David R. Adler