Tommy Potter

Tommy Potter
Tommy Potter with Charlie Parker, August 1947 Photo: William P. Gottlieb
Background information
Birth name	Charles Thomas Potter
Born	(1918-09-21)September 21, 1918 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 1, 1988(1988-03-01) (aged 69)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass

Tommy Potter, left, with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, c. August 1947
Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Charles Thomas Potter (September 21, 1918 – March 1, 1988) was a jazz double bass player, best known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950.

Born in Philadelphia, Potter had first played with Parker in 1944, in Billy Eckstine's band with Dizzy Gillespie, Lucky Thompson and Art Blakey.

Potter also performed and recorded with many other notable jazz musicians, including Earl Hines, Artie Shaw, Bud Powell, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Max Roach, Eddie Heywood, Tyree Glenn, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Buck Clayton and Charles Lloyd.

Discography

• Tommy Potter's Hard Funk, (East-West, 1956)

As sideman

• Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins (Prestige, 1956) - with Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins and Art Taylor

With Gene Ammons

• All Star Sessions (Prestige, 1950-55 [1956])

With Al Cohn

• Al Cohn's Tones (Savoy, 1950 [1956])

With Tommy Flanagan

• The Tommy Flanagan Trio (Moodsville, 1960)

With Jimmy Forrest

• Out of the Forrest (Prestige, 1961)
• Sit Down and Relax with Jimmy Forrest (Prestige, 1961)
• Most Much! (Prestige, 1961)
• Soul Street (New Jazz, 1962)

With Stan Getz

• Stan Getz Quartets (Prestige, 1949-50 [1955])
• The Complete Roost Recordings (Blue Note, 1950–54 [1997])

With Willis Jackson

• Please Mr. Jackson (Prestige, 1959)
• Cool "Gator" (Prestige, 1959)
• Blue Gator (Prestige, 1959)
• Together Again! (Prestige, 1959 [1965]) - with Jack McDuff
• Together Again, Again (Prestige, 1959 [1966]) - with Jack McDuff

With Jo Jones

• Vamp 'til Ready (Everest, 1960)

With Cecil Payne

• Patterns of Jazz (Savoy, 1956)

With Freddie Redd

• Freddie Redd in Sweden (1956)

With Sonny Stitt

• Kaleidoscope (Prestige, 1950 [1957])
• Stitt's Bits (Prestige, 1950 [1958])
• Stitt in Orbit (Roost, 1962)

With Joe Williams

• Together (Roulette, 1961) with Harry "Sweets" Edison

With Phil Woods

• Four Altos (Prestige, 1957) - with Gene Quill, Sahib Shihab and Hal Stein