Jackson Potter, small things Review

Musical Evolution and Mastery in Jackson Potter’s small things

By Jeff Becker

Jackson Potter’s small things represents a remarkable step forward in his artistic journey with his sophomore album. The new project is a blend of precise composition and the freewheeling pulse of contemporary jazz improvisation that signals the guitarist’s increasing prominence within New York City’s vibrant scene. As a composer, Potter brings both deep grooves and orchestrative expertise and a knack for integrating diverse jazz idioms into a singular, evolving musical narrative. His sophomore effort effectively highlights his strong sense of rhythm, seamlessly applied to a lyrical and melodic approach to the guitar.

The album opens with Roberts’ “Trams,” a track that effectively balances rhythmic intricacy with melodic cohesion. The lower-register motif introduced by Potter is matched by the rhythm section’s controlled, pocket, underscoring developing horn melody and orchestration. The ensemble’s tight chemistry—featuring Alex Ridout’s trumpet, Troy Roberts’ tenor saxophone, and the formidable rhythm section of Hamish Smith and Marcello Cardillo—creates a fluid, elastic framework for Potter’s explorations. His soloing on this track exhibits the structural ingenuity that has become a hallmark of his style, fusing groove-driven lines with harmonic phrases polished in their sophistication.

Potter’s reworking of the standard “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” reveals a significant expression in his approach to the jazz guitar tradition. His solo performance of the melody before the band enters speaks to his exceptional command of creating a musical space with rhythmic flow, drawing on the lineage of Wes Montgomery while adding his distinctive contemporary jazz voice. Potter’s chordal and melodic interplay throughout the piece is exquisitely crafted, each phrase articulating a personal understanding of jazz’s deep traditions while casting an eye toward future possibilities.

Small things shines in the nuanced chemistry among the musicians. Potter’s meticulous attention to detail is reflected not only in his solo work but in how he arranges for the ensemble. In “Mr. M,” for instance, the lively interplay between the horn section and the rhythm section establishes a kinetic dialogue, with Potter’s guitar adding harmonic richness that often acts as the bridge between the two. Each player on the album speaks the same jazz vernacular, and because of this, the combined musical contributions are each essential to the overall flow of the music.

What stands in small things is the manner in which Potter blends traditional jazz elements with contemporary sensibilities. His complex but accessible riff-based orchestrations, paired with his expansive single-note and harmonic vocabulary, allow each piece to evolve in its own space. Tracks like “Background Noise” and the title track highlight his adeptness at creating layered, polyphonic textures that add depth to the soundscape. Potter’s choices of instrumentation—like adding a groove-based double-stop figure in the middle of an active single-line phrase, give his solos excitement.

The inclusion of Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone and Sophia Formella’s vocal flourishes on the title track. Both enrich the album’s emotional and sonic breadth, adding another level of sophistication to the overall sound and color palette.

As a whole, small things embodies Jackson Potter’s engaging sound built from hard-bop up through today’s jazz sounds. It’s an album that celebrates his charming composing, arranging, and playing style. A style that embraces the lineage of jazz as a pillar for expressing his contemporary jazz art form.