Jazz Articles about Chris Potter

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 ...

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

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 ...

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

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 ...

Chris Potter Underground Orchestra: Imaginary Cities

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 ...

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, ...

by Ian Patterson
April 9, 2014

Nine years after the Pat Metheny Group crowned its mammoth The Way Up (Nonesuch, 2005) tour before 100,000 people at the Montreal Jazz Festival, it seems increasingly unlikely that Metheny will reconvene his main vehicle, not now with a vibrant new group pushing him compositionally and slaying audiences. Or does it? In a 2012 interview with All About Jazz , drummer Antonio Sanchez--who has worked closely with Metheny for a dozen years--said of the PMG: “everybody is craving another go ...

Being Here: Conversations On Creating Music

by Sammy Stein
April 2, 2014

Being Here: Conversations On Creating Music Radhika Philip 461 pages ISBN: 13:978-0-989-488006 Radhio.org 2013 Imagine having conversations with a large, diverse group of jazz musicians; old and young, both those who have been around for years and those relatively new to the scene. Radhika Philip has done just that, and documented their reflections in her book. The interviews were carried out in various places, including Philip's home, musicians' homes and various locations ...