In the current Philadelphia Weekly:
Thu., Apr. 23, 8 & 10pm. $25. Chris’s Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com
With Underground (2006) and Follow the Red Line (2007), saxophonist Chris Potter took an unusual step, leading a quartet with solidbody guitar, Fender Rhodes piano and no bass — a Doors-ish instrumentation that accommodated new turns in advanced jazz and hard funk. Keyboardist Craig Taborn has done much to define the band’s identity. But this week’s show is part of a tour with bassist Scott Colley subbing for Taborn. Colley played in an earlier Potter quartet, heard on Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard (2004). So the modified Underground could well forge a new synthesis. The original lineup reconvenes in New York (April 28-May 3), so catch the road-band edition while you can. — David R. Adler
The Thing
Fri., Apr. 24, 8pm. $10. Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N. Front St. 215.291.4919 www.kungfunecktie.com
Following up a recent duo gig with Thurston Moore, Swedish baritone saxist Mats Gustafsson returns to Philly with two respected Norwegians, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. They’re part of an incestuous scene, working in various configurations with Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark and others, often documented by the Smalltown Superjazz label. As The Thing, they make battering, paint-peeling music, reliant on ’60s free jazz, contemporary noise rock and wiggy electronics as reference points. The early stuff was out of print until Now and Forever, a four-disc retrospective, saw release in 2008. There’s also a new Steve Albini-produced item, Bag It!, plus two forthcoming live albums involving Jim O’Rourke. — David R. Adler
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