Juggling schedules and finding a last-minute window of opportunity, we met up with saxophonist, composer and road warrior Chris Potter, 43, at a hotel in Bethesda, Md., just after the start of his six-month tour with the Pat Metheny Unity Group. When Potter returns home to New York City in the fall, he’ll focus on his next ECM CD, the follow-up to his Odyssey-inspired 2013 release, The Sirens. For this Before & After, he preferred to listen to each song in its entirety before commenting.
1. Joe Henderson Sextet
“Mamacita” (from The Kicker, Milestone). Henderson, tenor saxophone; Mike Lawrence, trumpet; Grachan Moncur III, trombone; Kenny Barron, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Louis Hayes, drums. Recorded in 1967.