“I wrote this album around the story of John Brown – an abolitionist in the mid 1800s and an almost mythical American figure, whose audacious takeover of the armoury at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, was one of the immediate factors that tipped the country into Civil War. It’s a story that holds the complexity and tragedy of America in one moment, and it felt important to engage with it now.
Musically, I didn’t want a big band or an orchestra – I wanted something in between, almost like a slightly unruly village band, working with what they have available: guitar, violin, clarinet, trombone, rhythm section. I was imagining a certain sound: Copland, Blues and gospel and African rhythm all living in the same space. I was thinking about Bill Frisell’s sound as I wrote, knowing Nate would anchor it and that each of these musicians would bring their own interpretation and personality to it. It started as a bit of a hope and a prayer, but when everyone leaned in with seriousness and focus, it felt to me like the music took on a life of its own and became larger than any one of us.” Chris Potter
Chris Potter’s Alive With Ghosts Today brings together Bill Frisell, Nate Smith, and Burniss Travis with Rane Moore (clarinet), Zekkereya El-Magharbel (trombone) and Sara Caswell (violin).
This is our Chosen One.