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Jazz Articles about Chris Potter
Ryan Kisor: Power Source
by C. Andrew Hovan
Taking full advantage of what might be termed his “second wind," Ryan Kisor has grown into one of the most mature trumpeters of his generation. Back in 1990 when he impressed his elders by taking the prize at the Thelonious Monk Institute trumpet competition, things appeared promising and a major record label deal even came through the following year, but it might have been a slight case of a bit too much too soon. It seemed as quickly as his ...
read moreChris Potter's Generations at SFJAZZ
by Harry S. Pariser
Chris Potter SFJAZZ CenterSan Francisco, CA April 23, 2023 Veteran saxophonist and composer Chris Potter, onstage at the beginning of the final performance of a four-night presentation in San Francisco of “Generations," his remarkable new suite, informed the audience that “There are eight movements, and each of them is named for a passage from Ecclesiastes 3:'There is a season, and a time for each purpose.' The first movement is “To Be Born." The ...
read moreEdition Records: A Guide To The First Fifteen Years
by Ian Patterson
Edition Records celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2023. The label founded in Cardiff in 2008 by keyboardist Dave Stapleton has come a long way in that time. Initially conceived of as a means to release his own music and that of his friends, Edition Records went from being a cottage industry to a position as one of hottest European jazz labels in just a few short years. Since 2014, when Stapleton signed tenor saxophonist Chris Potter to the ...
read moreVince Mendoza/Metropole Orkest: Olympians
by Jack Bowers
Eight-time Grammy-winning composer/arranger Vince Mendoza, born and raised in Norwalk, CT, has enjoyed great success overseas--in Europe, to be more precise--since releasing an album with Germany's WDR Big Band in 1994. The following year, Mendoza began collaborating with the Dutch Metropole Orkest and in 1998 was named its principal guest conductor. Olympians is Mendoza's third recording with the massive, string-laden Metropole. He has recorded other albums with the London and Czech Symphony Orchestras. Here in the U.S., ...
read moreChris Potter: Got The Keys To The Kingdom: Live At The Village Vanguard
by Ian Patterson
The title references an old gospel song, but for Chris Potter the keys in question could be those to the Village Vanguard. This is the saxophonist's third live recording from jazz's most storied club, not counting those with Paul Motian. For musicians and fans alike, this is hallowed turf. But it's not just about playing at The Village Vanguard. Documenting those dates is key--a rite of passage, to judge by the dozens of revered jazz musicians who have made live ...
read moreVince Mendoza Metropole Orkest: Olympians
by Richard J Salvucci
Many years ago Dizzy Gillespie recorded an album called The New Continent (Limelight, 1965). Whether it was commercially successful is hard to say, but it featured an all-star cast of Los Angeles session players. The recording made a deep impression on some listeners because it was creative, dynamic, exotic and simply enjoyable. Good compositions (by Lalo Schifrin), arrangements and musicians will do that, even if the result is a bit different than mainstream jazz. Or mainstream Gillespie. ...
read moreChris Potter: Got The Keys To The Kingdom (Live At The Village Vanguard)
by Chris May
There is a lot of heavy ordnance going off during this album. Indeed, the incoming only lets up once, and then briefly, during a performance of Billy Strayhorn's “Blood Count" at the halfway point. For the rest of the sixty-one minutes playing time, the watchword is eruptive. But no PPE is required. The barrage is benign. This is the third album Chris Potter has recorded live at the Vanguard. The attraction is no surprise. Saxophonists, especially those ...
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