The magic of Potter, Mehldau, Patitucci & Blake open the last week with Cécile McLorin Salvant

• All together they accumulate 8 Grammy Awards and 48 nominations
• Both groups will stage their performances in Tenerife & Gran Canaria

Canary Islands, Monday 22º July 2024. The Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Más Músicas Creativas enters its last week of concerts in grand style, featuring performances by two of the musical ensembles at the top of the billing, who between them accumulate 8 Grammy Awards & 48 nominations. On the one hand, the group led by saxophonist  Chris Potter (1 Grammy & 10 nominations); alongside Brad Mehldau (1 Grammy & 16 nominations); the double bass player John Patitucci (3 Grammy & 15 nominations) and drummer Johnathan Blake (1 nomination) will present the album Eagle’s Point, released by Edition Records; and on the other hand, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant (3 Grammy & 6 nominations), who also comes to present her new album, titled Ogresse, a musical fable in the form of a cantata that blends genres (folk, baroque, jazz, country). Both groups will stage their performances in Gran Canaria (Theatre Pérez Galdós & Theatre Cuyás) and in Tenerife (Theatre Leal & Theatre Guimerá).

In March 2024, the album “Eagle’s Point” was released, and is well on its way in becoming the best jazz album of the year. The disc features saxophonist Chris Potter, famous for his boundless creativity, his technique and immaculate sense of swing, playing alongside Brad Mehldau, described by The New York Times as “the most influential jazz pianist of the past twenty years”, and bassist John Patitucci, winner of four Grammy awards and with a track record of some thirty years. Joining them on the tour that brings them to Europe and the Festival Canarias Jazz & Más, is drummer Johnathan Blake, whom NPR described as “the ultimate modernist”. With credentials ranging from Pharoah Sanders & Wayne Shorter, across Sting, Paul Simon & Herbie Hancock, all the way up to Pat Metheny & Avishai Cohen, playing together, these four virtuosos cover just about every style under the sun.

Chris Potter has established himself as a towering figure on the global jazz scene, renowned for his profound impact and innovation as a saxophonist.
With a career marked by technical mastery and a bold, imaginative approach to composition and improvisation, Potter’s versatility and creativity have not only earned him critical acclaim but have also influenced a generation of musicians. His new studio album, Eagle’s Point, released on Edition Records, stands as a testament to his brilliance, as a composer, instrumentalist and bandleader, uniting four unparalleled luminaries of the genre, Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade.

The album, consisting of eight original compositions by Chris Potter, is a showcase of his exceptional skill, crafting melodies and a sound so uniquely his.  Kicking off the album, Dream of Home sets the stage with its ethereal, minimalist piano chords, immediately drawing us into a world that’s unmistakably Potter’s own. The track unfolds with a vibrant melodic structure, rich in interplay and nuance.

As the piece evolves, the unique voices of the legendary artists involved gradually make their presence felt. Each artist brings their distinct flair, yet together they create a tapestry of sound that’s harmonious and flawlessly integrated. This subtle mastery, never overdone, marries a sense of playfulness with a depth and seriousness that demands and holds the listener’s attention.

Cloud Message carries forward with a sense of purposeful drive, featuring a bold and charismatic tenor saxophone sound that commands attention. In contrast, Aira for Ana showcases a display of sheer mastery and nuance. This piece epitomises total expression and poise, offering a depth of execution, communication, and expression that is simply unparalleled.

In the intimate confines of a small group setting, Potter’s musical narratives flourish, marked by moments of virtuosic interplay, infectious grooves, and those quintessential Potter-esque melodies. Each track is a testament to their collective genius, a confluence of unparalleled talent, virtuosic brilliance, and artistic expression of the highest calibre.

Cécile McLorin Salvant is a composer, singer & visual artist. The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as “a unique voice supported by an intelligence and fully-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings.” Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville, blues, folk traditions from around the world, theatre, jazz, and baroque music. She is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists, and humour.

Salvant won the Thelonius Monk competition in 2010. She has received Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for three consecutive albums, “The Window,” “Dreams and Daggers,” and “For One To Love,” and was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album “WomanChild.” In 2020, Salvant received the MacArthur fellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award. “Ghost Song”, Salvant’s debut for Nonesuch Records, was released in March 2022 to critical acclaim, and has gone on to receive two Grammy Nominations, as well as being included in spots in some ‘Best Albums of 2022’ lists. This was followed up on 24 March 2023 by the release by Nonesuch Records of “Mélusine”, an album sung mostly in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl.

Salvant’s work, ‘Ogresse’, is a musical fable in the form of a cantata that blends genres (folk, baroque, jazz, country). Salvant wrote the story, lyrics, and music. It is arranged by Darcy James Argue for a thirteen-piece orchestra of multi-instrumentalists. Ogresse, both a biomythography and homage to the Erzulie (as painted by Gerard Fortune) & Sara Baartman, explores fetishism, hunger, diaspora, cycles of appropriation, lies, otherness and ecology. It is in development to become an animated feature-length film, which Salvant will direct. Cécile will be accompanied by a trio composed of Sullivan Fortner (piano), Yasushi Nakamura (double bass) & Kyle Poole (drums).

PROGRAMA DE CONCIERTOS:

Martes 23

Tenerife – Teatro Leal (La Laguna)

Potter | Mehldau | Patitucci | Blake 

Gran Canaria – Teatro Cuyás (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Miércoles 24

Tenerife – Teatro Guimerá (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Gran Canaria – Teatro Pérez Galdós (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)

Potter | Mehldau | Patitucci | Blake