DAVE POTTER

“Pianist Marcus Roberts calls Dave Potter “one of the most talented young drummers on the scene today,” and the word that best sums up his playing is intensity. Potter got a late start, picking up the drum set in high school in Durham, North Carolina, where he was drawn to funk and fusion drummers like Billy Cobham and Dennis Chambers. Hearing Tony Williams’s early recordings with the Miles Davis Quintet changed everything, and with mentorship from trumpeter and educator Dr. Andrew Sioberg, he threw himself into practicing, listening, and transcribing.

That work earned him a scholarship to Florida State University, where he studied with Roberts and began a collaboration with Jason Marsalis that has lasted more than twenty years. After graduating, he was selected for the Louis Armstrong Quintet at the University of New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina cut that plan short. He later turned down a full scholarship to Juilliard to return to Florida State for his master’s degree under Roberts.

Potter was featured in the 2010 book The New Face of Jazz, which profiled the younger generation making an impact on the scene. Now based in Atlanta, he keeps a busy teaching and performing schedule and tours with the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Greg Tardy, Eric Reed, and Marcus Roberts. He also leads his own group, Retro Groove, whose third studio album builds on their self-titled debut with clever arrangements of ’80s hits by Whitney Houston, Rush, The Isley Brothers, Toto, and others, blended with swing and blues to win over jazz purists and pop fans alike.

Dave Potter: Band Leader & Drums
Rod Harris, Jr.: Guitar
Gary Motley: Piano
Tommy Sauter: Bass

Cover: $25.00