Chris Potter (jazz saxophonist)

Chris Potter in Budapest, May 2008

Chris Potter (born January 1, 1971) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.

Biography

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Potter spent most of his childhood in Columbia, South Carolina where his mother taught psychology at the University of South Carolina. He exhibited an early interest in all kinds of music and quickly became a prodigy, mastering several instruments including guitar and piano, and finally gravitating toward the alto and tenor saxophone. Potter played his first professional jazz gig at age 13 and quickly developed a devoted local following. He attended college in New York City, first at the New School, and later at Manhattan School of Music.

Potter has released a number of albums as leader and has performed and recorded with many leading musicians including Patricia Barber, Kenny Werner, Red Rodney, Marian McPartland, the Mingus Big Band, Paul Motian, Ray Brown, Jim Hall, James Moody, Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Wayne Krantz, Mike Mainieri, Steve Swallow, Steely Dan, Dave Holland, Joanne Brackeen, Adam Rogers and many more.

His 1998 CD Vertigo was named one of the year's top ten jazz CDs by both Jazziz magazine and The New York Times. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for his work on the Joanne Brackeen recording Pink Elephant Magic. His 2004 CD Lift: Live At The Village Vanguard was named one of the year's ten best new jazz recordings by Fred Kaplan of Slate. His 2006 release, Underground, on which he records with an electric, more "groove"-based ensemble featuring Craig Taborn on keyboard; Wayne Krantz on guitar; Nate Smith on drums and Adam Rogers, guitar on tracks 6 and 9), was followed closely by the 2007 release Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard, featuring Adam Rogers on all six of its tracks. Another Underground group recording was released in 2009, Ultrahang.

Discography

As leader

• Presenting Chris Potter (1994, Criss Cross Jazz) with John Swana, Kevin Hays, Christian McBride, & Lewis Nash
• Concentric Circles (1994, Concord Records)
• Sundiata (1995, Criss Cross) with Kevin Hays, Doug Weiss, & Al Foster
• Pure (1995, Concord)
• Moving In (1996, Concord) with Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, & Billy Hart
• Unspoken (1997, Concord) with John Scofield, Dave Holland, & Jack DeJohnette
• Vertigo (1998, Concord) with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Scott Colley, & Billy Drummond
• Gratitude (2001, Verve Records) with Kevin Hays, Scott Colley, & Brian Blade
• Traveling Mercies (2002, Verve) with John Scofield, Adam Rogers, Kevin Hays, Scott Colley, & Bill Stewart
• Lift: Live At The Village Vanguard (2004, Sunnyside Records) with Kevin Hays, Scott Colley & Bill Stewart
• Underground (2006, Sunnyside) with Adam Rogers, Craig Taborn, Wayne Krantz, & Nate Smith
• ''Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard (2007, Sunnyside) with Adam Rogers, Craig Taborn, & Nate Smith
• "Chris Potter 10: Song For Anyone" 2007
• "Ultrahang" (2009, ArtistShare) with Adam Rogers, Craig Taborn, & Nate Smith
• This Will Be
• Transatlantic

As sideman

With Dave Holland

• 2000 - Prime Directive - ECM
• 2001 - Not for Nothin' - ECM
• 2003 - Extended Play: Live at Birdland - ECM
• 2005 - Overtime - Dare2
• 2006 - Critical Mass - Dare2
• 2007 - Live at The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival
• 2008 - Pass It On - Dare2
• 2010 - Pathways - Dare2
• 2011 - Archive Series Volume I - Dare2

With Paul Motian

• 1994 - Reincarnation of a Love Bird - JMT
• 1996 - Flight of the Blue Jay - Winter & Winter
• 1997 - 2000 + One - Winter & Winter
• 1998 - Play Monk and Powell - Winter & Winter
• 2005 - On Broadway Vol. 4 or The Paradox of Continuity - Winter & Winter
• 2006 - Live at the Village Vanguard (Winter & Winter)
• 2006 - Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. II (Winter & Winter)
• 2006 - Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. III (Winter & Winter)

External links

• Official website
• Biography from the Sunnyside Records website
• "Twelve Essential Chris Potter Performances" by Jacob Teichroew, (Jazz.com).