Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter, Eric Harland, Larry Grenadier, First Meeting Review

The Geometry of Sound: Four Masters, One Meeting

By Nolan DeBuke

Representing a confluence of four giants meeting for the first time and sounding like they’ve been conversing for years is what First Meeting captures. The six tracks are a summit of virtuosity, mutual respect, and deeply intuitive ensemble interaction between pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Eric Harland. This all-star lineup engages in a multidimensional musical dialogue that connects harmonic colors, rhythmic idioms, and time.

The album opens with Rubalcaba setting the mood for “500 Miles High,” offering a solo piano prelude that is a layered improvisation. Classical voicing, flamenco flourishes, and the syncopated heart of Latin jazz all coexist in a marvelously contrapuntal texture. His ability to voice melody, counterpoint, and bass motion simultaneously places him in a rare echelon. When the ensemble enters, they meet him, seamlessly adopting the piece’s modal contour and shifting rhythmic grid. Potter’s solo develops motivic material melodically and rhythmically, sculpting phrases that evolve through subtle polyrhythmic permutations and scalar elasticity.

A relaxed, folk-jazz-tinged composition, “State of the Union,” is where Grenadier’s percussive attack and crystalline tone offer a rhythmic solo throughline that evokes Afro-Cuban danzón as much as American post-bop. His solo flows organically from the theme, reflecting its color and nuance. Potter follows on soprano saxophone, lifting the energy with expanding lyricism. His personality in his inflections is emotionally resonant. The ensemble connects with him, always listening, always adjusting, each player calibrating their placement in the conversation to balance tension and release.

Eric Harland’s solo drum introduction to “Eminence” is a tour de force of groove, texture, and melodic phrasing. His rhythmic narrative unfolds patiently, with clarity in every phrase. Even as he shifts meters and introduces polyrhythmic overlays, the central groove is never lost. When the ensemble enters, they extend this layered foundation into a more open textural dialogue. Rubalcaba, Grenadier, and Harland engage in a three-way rhythmic braid, while Potter’s entrance heralds a shift toward spiritual jazz. The ensemble’s phrasing channels the emotive modal colors with jazz grounded in South American rhythmic influences.

Rubalcaba opens “Con Alma,” offering a dramatic solo piano intro that smoothly pivots into a deep jazz-funk groove. It’s a treat to hear him in this idiom as he brings his full arsenal of blazing runs, stabbing comp chords, and modal reharmonizations. Potter’s response is electric. He flows over the groove with melodic freedom, his rhythmic control so precise. The highlight, though, is the interaction in the last minutes of the performance where Gonzalo and Potter spar, echo, and elevate one another, co-creating a peak moment before the ensemble releases the built-up tension with a collective exhale.

Potter’s tenor voice sets the rhythmic clave on “Oba,” anchoring this composition before Rubalcaba joins in with harmonic shading that adds dimension without overcomplication. Grenadier and Harland follow to shape the rhythmic and harmonic scaffolding in real time. The result is an immersive collective conversation. The rhythmic rapport between players flows with phrases that land in tandem with each other.

Harland again leads the charge, his opening establishing the vibe of “Santo Canto.” His drumming here feels earthy and rooted. Rubalcaba and Grenadier enter with melodic fragments and rhythmic responses that add layers organically. When Potter states the melody, the whole ensemble locks into a world-jazz groove. The ensemble playing reflects the deep listening as the communication among the four is profound.

First Meeting is exactly what it promises, a recording of first impressions. The performance captures these musicians introducing themselves and conversing with notes, ideas, memories, rhythms, and space. Each track is a configuration of these “getting to know you” relationships, characterized by mutual trust, rhythmic ingenuity, and emotional intelligence.