EDUCATION | EXHIBITIONS: ONE LP@BAND ON THE WALL: Chris Potter: Musician

“I choose ‘Ellington at Newport’ - I wish I remember how old I was when I first got it - probably 11 or 12. I’m sure I can’t count the number of times that I’ve listened to it . It has the famous solo by Paul Gonsalves - 27 choruses on the blues on a piece called ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’And you can hear the people really start to go nuts and by the end of it, it sounds like there’s a riot and you can feel why because the energy is just relentless.But it was my kind of introduction really to Paul Gonsalves' playing who I’ve always really really love and there’s also an amazing performance of ‘Jeeps Blues’ which features Johnny Hodges - Jeep who was always one of my favourites.For me it’s just one of those really special records that was extremely important to me at a very early time in my study of the horn and familiarity with this music - so I know every note, and I love every note.”Chris Potter: Band on the Wall, Manchester, 15th April 2017Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport 1956 released 1956Chris Potter
Chris Potter: Musician, Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport

 

“I choose ‘Ellington at Newport’ - I wish I remember how old I was when I first got it - probably 11 or 12. I’m sure I can’t count the number of times that I’ve listened to it .  

It has the famous solo by Paul Gonsalves - 27 choruses on the blues on a piece called ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’ 

And you can hear the people really start to go nuts and by the end of it, it sounds like there’s a riot and you can feel why because the energy is just relentless. 

But it was my kind of introduction really to Paul Gonsalves' playing who I’ve always really really love and there’s also an amazing performance of ‘Jeeps Blues’ which features Johnny Hodges - Jeep who was always one of my favourites. 

For me it’s just one of those really special records that was extremely important to me at a very early time in my study of the horn and familiarity with this music - so I know every note, and I love every note.” 

 

Chris Potter: Band on the Wall, Manchester, 15th April 2017 

Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport 1956 released 1956 

Chris Potter