Chris Potter

The youngest winner of the prestigious Jazzpar Prize, saxophonist and composer Chris Potter – born in Chicago, Illinois on January 1, 1971 - has established himself as one of the most talented jazz musicians of his generation. Since his seventh album, Vertigo (1998), his complex language and virtuoso playing have won him unanimous acclaim in post-bop and contemporary circles, as demonstrated by his audacious albums Travelling Mercies (2002), Song for Anyone (2007) and Follow the Red Line (2007), which was recorded live at the Village Vanguard. In 2013, the tenor and soprano saxophonist made his debut on the ECM label with the album The Sirens. Two years later, the album Imaginary Cities was recorded with the Underground Orchestra, a large ensemble comprising his regular quartet plus a string quartet. He then recorded the live album Zea (2017) with the Hungarian group Mihaly Dresch Quartet, followed the same year by The Dreamer Is the Dream. After demonstrating his musical skills by playing all the instruments on There Is a Tide (2020), the virtuoso surrounds himself with James Francies (keyboards) and Eric Harland (drums) for Sunrise Reprise (2021), followed by a return to the Village Vanguard for Got the Keys to the Kingdom (2023). His 2024 album Eagle’s Point found Chris Potter in a quartet with some of jazz music’s most prestigious players including Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci and Brian Blade.