CHRIS POTTER
Testimonial
I wanted to tell you that the AMMA is great (though I expected nothing less honestly)!Congratulations!Totally singing from top to bottom, lots of power.... the works.
Biography
At the age of three Chris Potter began fooling around on guitar and piano. He took up the alto sax at the age of ten and played on his first jazz gig at the age of 13. When piano legend Marian McPartland first heard Chris at 15 years old (an encounter that eventually led to his contract with Concord Records in 1994), she told his father that Chris was ready for the road with a unit such as Woody Herman's, however, finishing school was a priority.At 18 Potter moved to New York to study at the New School, and then the Manhattan School of Music. Graduating from Manhattan in 1993, Potter began a long series of sideman activities with top Chris has performed and recorded with top musicians including 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, and many others.
more
Inspiration
Why did you choose to become a musician?
I don't remember ever choosing to be a musician, I started playing the saxophone when I was 10 and by the time I was 18 it was impossible to imagine doing anything else, so here I am...
What is your experience when you feel connected into the music?
There's the feeling that the music is playing itself through me, I can't think of another way to explain. It's a combination of feeling both totally involved and like a passive spectator at the same time.
What is your experience of when you don't feel connected to your music?
Those are the times when I find myself consciously reminding myself to relax and be patient. When everything is good I don't think about anything.
Where does your inspiration comes from? What does it feel like?
I don't know, it just arrives sometimes. The process of practising and working on music even when I don't feel particularly inspired helps it to show up, but beyond that I don't think it's the kind of thing I have much control over. It feels good when it happens of course, but I try not to judge it or become attached to it, because then it goes away again.
What is your experience while improvising? Does it relate to any spirituality you may practice in your life?
I don't practice a particular form of spirituality, though it is a fascinating subject for me. The experience of improvising definitely relates to what all the spiritual masters have to say, in terms of surrendering all preconceived ideas in order to be able to allow the most beautiful sound at a particular moment to show up.
Where does your inspiration while composing come from? What is your experience of that inspiration like?
It's fundamentally the same process as improvisation, just slowed down and with more chance for reflection. Also it's a private process, as opposed to a performance. The source of the inspiration seems equally elusive and momentary, though again the process of plain old hard work seems to help keep the faucet on.
more
I don't remember ever choosing to be a musician, I started playing the saxophone when I was 10 and by the time I was 18 it was impossible to imagine doing anything else, so here I am...
What is your experience when you feel connected into the music?
There's the feeling that the music is playing itself through me, I can't think of another way to explain. It's a combination of feeling both totally involved and like a passive spectator at the same time.
What is your experience of when you don't feel connected to your music?
Those are the times when I find myself consciously reminding myself to relax and be patient. When everything is good I don't think about anything.
Where does your inspiration comes from? What does it feel like?
I don't know, it just arrives sometimes. The process of practising and working on music even when I don't feel particularly inspired helps it to show up, but beyond that I don't think it's the kind of thing I have much control over. It feels good when it happens of course, but I try not to judge it or become attached to it, because then it goes away again.
What is your experience while improvising? Does it relate to any spirituality you may practice in your life?
I don't practice a particular form of spirituality, though it is a fascinating subject for me. The experience of improvising definitely relates to what all the spiritual masters have to say, in terms of surrendering all preconceived ideas in order to be able to allow the most beautiful sound at a particular moment to show up.
Where does your inspiration while composing come from? What is your experience of that inspiration like?
It's fundamentally the same process as improvisation, just slowed down and with more chance for reflection. Also it's a private process, as opposed to a performance. The source of the inspiration seems equally elusive and momentary, though again the process of plain old hard work seems to help keep the faucet on.
VIDEOS
SOUNDCLIPS
IMAGES
DISCOGRAPHY
Myspace