Jamestown musician Andrew Potter can’t stick to just one instrument. Along with fingerpicking his guitar, he can also play the piano and make some cool sounds with an accordion while singing in a way that’s a cross between Jim Croce and Randy Newman. This approach that touches upon numerous aspects of music generates a style that’s a bit Americana, a bit rock & roll and a bit singer-songwriter while being totally authentic. This is evident with his new album “Underwater Palaceâ€, which Potter self-released last week. As the central creative nucleus, he also once again teamed up with Wheeler Cole for the songwriting process, just like he did during the making of his previous full-length “I Haunt My Own House†that he put out back in March of 2022.
Potter employed an all-star ensemble of musicians during the recording sessions with Marty Ballou on bass, Mark Teixiera on drums, Rick Couto on percussion and Mark Cutler on both lead and slide guitar. Cutler recorded the album as well, and the outcome is a record with an excellent sonic quality.
“I’m a rhythm guy, my first instrument in fifth grade was the drums,†Potter says. “I didn’t stick with the drums, but I knew I had a strong feel and love of rhythm. When I took up acoustic guitar at age 15, I worked towards playing finger-style, because I could do so much with rhythm, more so than strumming or playing single notes. My first album, ‘I Haunt My Own House’ features my finger-style guitar playing. The music was guitar pieces I had written over the last 40 years, which were repurposed into song structure with lyrics.â€
“‘Underwater Palace’ is 10 new songs written on piano,†he adds. “While my first album had many guest players, I wanted this album to have the same players on all the tunes, starting with the rhythm section with Marty Ballou on bass and Mark Teixeira on drums. I also wanted some rock bona fides, even though I’m more of a jazz guy, so I enlisted Mark Cutler to record the album and play lead and slide guitar. The rhythm section lays the template while I provide melody on piano and rhythm guitar on both acoustic and electric. Cutler plays lead and counterpoint melodies, and the result is something I call ‘rhythmic polyphony’, which has many voices interweaving between each other, a format more like dixieland jazz or Bach fugues.â€
There are a variety of themes within the album, with one being about a coffee shop crush while a few others are about growing old, reflecting on life and either facing reality or knowing that there’s still a lot to live for. With this being said, the title track is way less introspective while examining a major environmental issue that affects all of humanity and our existence as a species.
* For the full story, pick up a copy of this week's Independent on newsstands now or purchase a subscription to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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