Against the backdrop of a divided and violent America, new releases from bassist, arranger, and activist David Ambrosio and from saxophonist and composer Chris Potter touch on the potential for and the necessity of peace and justice.

Civil Disobedience
Civil Disobedience (Blue Frog Records)
A review
This unique and intriguing project began when bassist and activist David Ambrosio was introduced by a student to several recordings made by Blue Note Records between 1963 and 1968 that had sat in the archives for decades before being released. Ambrosio was struck by forward-looking architecture of the music, which was wedded with the driving swing of iconic Blue Note recordings of that era. He also noticed that several of the recordings were inspired by events and themes associated with the civil rights, antiwar, and economic equality movements of the time, all of which have a certain resonance in today’s struggles. Ambrosio rearranged several of the tunes for a quintet for which he drafted the remarkable talents of Donny McCaslin (sax), Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Bruce Barth (piano), and Victor Lewis (drums) and which he named Civil Disobedience, in honor of the method of nonviolent action for social change. The five tracks on Civil Disobedience, though written more than a half-century ago, prove to be as fresh as today, and these five exceptionally articulate musicians expand the envelope of the music’s architecture with a very contemporary take on it. The album opens with a Bobby Hutcherson composition written for pianist Duke Pearson, “For Duke P. (aka XYZ),” and if your foot isn’t tapping it’s because your shoes are nailed to the floor. The soloists set the stage for what’s to come, burrowing new channels through the harmonic structure. The second track, “A Time to Go,” written by James Spaulding as a tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dives deep into sorrow, peace, and gratitude. “Irina,” a composition by drummer Joe Chambers, offers a supplication for peace, and “Poor People’s March,” written by saxophonist Harold Land for the Poor People’s campaign of 1968, finds the musicians afloat on hope. “Ankara,” another Chambers composition, closes the proceedings with a light-filled reflection with magical cymbal work from Lewis. Ambrosio’s respect for the compositions allows him to capture in his arrangements their progressive qualities, retain the emblematic Blue Note swing, and move the music and its message forward into the present.

Chris Potter
Alive with Ghosts Today (Edition Records)
A review
For saxophonist and composer Chris Potter, abolitionist John Brown’s attempted takeover of the armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859 is “a story that holds the complexity and tragedy of America in one moment,” and he adds that “it felt important to engage with it now.” Engage with it he has in his new release, Alive with Ghosts Today, whose original music has the feel of a classical suite in the jazz idiom. Joining Potter (tenor and soprano saxophones) are Bill Frisell (guitar), Rane Moore (clarinet), Zekkereya El-magharbel (trombone), Sara Caswell (violin), Burniss Travis (bass), and Nate Smith (drums). Drawing on the vocabulary of Aaron Copland, funk, jazz, blues, gospel, and African rhythms, Potter digs into the passionate commitment of Brown and the power and price of his righteous anger. “Alive with Ghosts Today 1” opens the proceedings with an ominous rumble, and “Osawatomie Brown” follows, fulfilling the predicted storm with an ominous solemnity that bursts into a conflagration of righteousness, with stinging solos from Potter and Frisell. High points abound. Travis and Smith run the “Song of the Underground Railroad” irresistibly up the tracks with assistance from Frisell, and Potter adds a load of exultant coal to the firebox. There’s the gush of feeling in “Into Africa” that carries the excitement of anticipation, the fiery intensity of “Mine Eyes” that resolves into a religious introspection, the funky balm of “Sister Annie,” and the transcendant sorrow of “The Earth Would Have No Charms,” with touching contributions from Caswell and Potter. “Going Home” brings the journey to an ending full of Gospel faith, with a radiant Potter leading the way. (“The Song of the Underground Railroad” and “Going Home” are currently available only on the “Deluxe Limited Edition Double Gatefold Vinyl” version, which appears to be about sold out on Bandcamp. Hello, Edition Records: Everyone should have access to these tracks, which are essential elements of the suite.) Alive with Ghosts Today reminds us that Chris Potter is as profound a composer as he is a saxophonist, and this music brings forward for your contemplation America’s great promise and its tragic shortcomings. Potter clearly comes down on the side of promise.

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