From the time he first began playing jazz music at the age of 13, to being the sideman for famous jazz musicians such as Dave Holland and Dave Douglas, the innovative composer and saxophonist, Chris Potter has made a career out of his dedication and passion for playing jazz music.
Tonight, Potter along with his jazz group, the Chris Potter Quartet, will be grooving for audiences at the Wexner Center for the Arts.
“Bringing Chris Potter to the Wexner Center is part of the center’s long history of bringing the best of the jazz scene to Columbus,” said Erik Pepple, media relations assistant for the Wexner.
The Chris Potter Quartet will be in Ohio for only one day. The group is excited to play in Columbus, Potter said. This show is the first of many live jazz performances for Potter’s newly organized band.
Traveling can be tiring, Potter said, “but it’s a great way to make a living – it’s hard to imagine a better job than (this), at the end of the day – it’s fantastic,” Potter said.
In just one month, the quartet will tour not just the United States, but also Portugal, Japan and Canada. The group will be playing some of the songs off its newest CD “Lift,” which was recorded live in New York City’s Village Vanguard. The new CD features many original songs composed by Potter and will also feature a jazz version of Radiohead’s “Morning Bell” and Duke Ellington’s “Lotus Blossom”.
The new CD and tour promises to be different than anything Potter has done in the past.
“This CD is a little more groove oriented, free and open,” Potter said. The quartet’s live performance will also be unique and dynamic.
“I don’t want (the music) to be the same every night,” Potter said. “Situations affect the music. Our dinner that night, the way the hall sounds, the audience reaction to the music – its all a part of the performance.”
The Wexner performance will also feature pianist and organist Craig Taborn, whose work is highlighted in Matthew Shipp’s “Thirsty Ear Blue Series.”
Potter enjoys playing his music in college settings.
“Students usually do not have preconceived ideas about how jazz should happen and are more fresh and open to embracing new ideas and sounds,” Potter said.
For Potter, the passion for music began when he was very young. After listening to his parents’ Miles Davis records, and being influenced by the music of Paul Desmond and Johnny Hodges, Potter began playing the saxophone. At 13 years old he began performing at weddings, bar mitzvahs and various jazz groups. He attended the Manhattan School of Music and played for many great jazz groups until he began doing his own thing in the ’90s.
In the late ’90s Potter was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, which caused him to lose hearing in his left ear. His career in music was put to the ultimate test. He decided to work through the problems because of his love and fascination with music.
“It was a major test in what I wanted to do,” Potter said. “In the end I am not glad that it happened, but I am much stronger in knowing that this is what I want.”
For Potter, the whole point of playing his music is about communication and facilitating this communication between the audience and the band.
The Wexner Center will host the event in the Wexner Center Performance Space.
“The set-up for the Potter show is a bit different from other shows. This is a performance space show done cabaret-style, with tables, chairs, cash bar. It’s an incredibly intimate way to see a performer,” Pepple said.
The show will be at 7:30 tonight. Tickets are $16 for general public and $12 for Ohio State students.
