Jazz Articles about Chris Potter

About Chris Potter

Live Review

ECM Fest SFJAZZSan Francisco, CA March 26-29, 2015 In 1969, German record producer Manfred Eicher founded ECM, a label which would change music history. Since then his “Edition of Contemporary Music" imprint has more than lived up to its name, issuing well over a thousand albums by classic jazz, experimental, world and classical artists. A small yet brilliant portion of that artistry was brought to San Francisco's SFJAZZ for ...

Interview

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

by Eric J. Iannelli
March 23, 2015

Writing jazz music, says Chris Potter, is “a bit of a zen exercise." “A lot of what you're thinking about when you're writing is the stuff that's not there. You're thinking about the solos and the way the band is going to play it together--things that can't be notated." For Imaginary Cities, his eighteenth and most recent album as bandleader, composition presented the saxophonist with a greater challenge than usual on account of just how much ...

Interview

A Fireside Chat With Chris Potter

by AAJ Staff
March 23, 2015

This article was originally published in December 2001.I remember first seeing Chris Potter playing with Paul Motian and most recently with the highly regarded Dave Holland Quintet. His improvement in the two or so years time is nothing short of remarkable. I can only compare his development with Scott Colley, who happens (and not just by chance) to appear on Potter's Verve debut, Gratitude, a tribute/dedication/thank you to a who's who of saxophonists. Potter has had one hell ...

Album Review

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

Read "Imaginary Cities" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
February 2, 2015

Con questo disco Chris Potter realizza l'opera finora più significativa della sua attività artistica, il punto di arrivo del suo magistrale talento di sassofonista e delle esperienze svolte nell'ultimo decennio come compositore e leader. Secondo disco realizzato per l'etichetta ECM dopo The Sirens -concept album in quintetto del 2013 ispirato all'Odissea-Imaginary Cities presenta una suite incisa con un ensemble che aggiunge all'Underground Quartet, due bassi, un vibrafono e un quartetto d'archi. Un significativo antecedente a cui ...

Album Review

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

Read "Imaginary Cities" reviewed by Ian Patterson

by Ian Patterson
January 11, 2015

Given the globe-trotting touring on the back of Unity Band (Nonesuch Records, 2012) and Kin ()(Nonesuch Records, 2014) with Pat Metheny's Unity Group it's a wonder that Chris Potter has had time for his own projects. Yet with The Sirens (ECM, 2013)--an acoustic suite inspired by Homer's Odyssey--Potter was in the composing form of his life. On Imaginary Cities Potter shows greater ambition still in blending a string quartet with his long-standing Underground band. Furthermore, electric bassist Fima Ephron and ...

Album Review

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

Read "Imaginary Cities" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
January 8, 2015

In the twenty year span since his debut as a leader on Presenting Chris Potter (Criss Cross, 1994), the Chicago born/South Carolina raised artist has been among the most prolific and in-demand reed players in jazz. Having performed and/or recorded with a wide range of artists from guitarist Pat Metheny to pop legends Steely Dan, Potter is most recognized for his numerous recordings with bassist Dave Holland and several outings with drummer Paul Motian. Beginning with Holland's highly-regarded quintet recording ...

Extended Analysis

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

by John Kelman
January 6, 2015

While he is, perhaps, best-known as a reed and woodwind multi-instrumentalist of tremendous power and versatility--the torch-bearer and logical successor, even, to the late, great Michael Brecker--Chris Potter has also demonstrated remarkable breadth as a bandleader and composer. It's hard to imagine that it's been only 23 years since the 44 year-old first came onto the scene with Red Rodney and began a career as a leader soon after with Presenting Chris Potter (Criss Cross, 1994)--the first of what is, ...