Sundiata

by David R. AdlerAlthough it wasn't released until 1995, this album was recorded in 1993, when Chris Potter was still in the process of emerging as a great jazz talent. Still, Sundiata ranks as one of Potter's finest efforts. His band members -- (Kevin Hays on piano, Doug Weiss on bass, and the great Al Foster on drums -- push him to inspired heights on tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones. Two of the session's originals, "Hibiscus" and "Leap of Faith," are unforgettable. And Potter's confident readings of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin" (sans piano) and the timeless standard, "Body and Soul," firmly establish that he knows the tradition like the back of his hand. Sundiata is an early sign of Chris Potter's importance in the jazz world.