How Chris Potter Writes Music

Here's a walk-through of my practice framework » jazzpracticepyramid.com
Legendary saxophonist Chris Potter talks about-and demonstrates incredibly-his process for composing instrumental jazz music in this intimate songwriter's circle at Snarky Puppy's GroundUP Festival groundupmusicfestival.com (It's amazing. You need to go.)
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===============
Bob Reynolds is an American jazz saxophonist and 3x Grammy Award-winning member of Snarky Puppy. He's toured with John Mayer • John Mayer & Bob Reyno... , Larry Carlton, and many others and released 12 solo albums-4 of which reached the Top 10 in Billboard's Jazz Charts. A pioneering educator, Bob has coached thousands of musicians through his innovative Virtual Teaching Studio bobreynoldsmusic.com/studio. He is a D'Addario Woodwinds artist and lives with his wife and kids in Los Angeles, CA.
#chrispotter #creativeprocess #snarkypuppy

Пікірлер: 70

  • @bobreynolds
    @bobreynolds3 ай бұрын

    Chris dropped some beautiful knowledge here. Any particular favorite quotes? P.S. my Virtual Studio is currently open! lessons.bobreynoldsmusic.com/join/2024-winter/

  • @davidcox8961

    @davidcox8961

    3 ай бұрын

    Seems like Chris got a lot of mileage out of that simple motif he invented on the keys !! Simple and beautiful.

  • @davidscott1052

    @davidscott1052

    2 ай бұрын

    Thing is there are a whole load of sax geniuses out there Frahm, Alexander,Redmond,Marsalis , and a whole load of others whose names escape me for the moment...we've never been so blessed with so much stratospheric sax talent 💥💥💥💥

  • @Bebopopotamus
    @Bebopopotamus3 ай бұрын

    "I've noticed that when I fall in love with it too early, it's not great." Man, what a relatable line.

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    Right?! That might be my favorite. It's certainly true for me but I never thought about it like that.

  • @tenorref
    @tenorref3 ай бұрын

    I’m hearing influences of Bach in here. The cello suites, for example. It’s so beautiful in outlining chords while creating captivating lines.

  • @kwootamuckbear9294
    @kwootamuckbear92943 ай бұрын

    He tightened that screw for ten minutes…🎶🎵🎷

  • @frankversteeg8107

    @frankversteeg8107

    3 ай бұрын

    noticed it myself too

  • @valentinconus8442

    @valentinconus8442

    3 ай бұрын

    I was looking for that comment XD

  • @rightchordleadership

    @rightchordleadership

    2 ай бұрын

    Yeah noticed that. Nervous tic I’m guessing.

  • @pede1959
    @pede19593 ай бұрын

    This man does not need words. What a beautiful voice. I love to listen to him talking through his saxophone.

  • @tarasr
    @tarasr2 ай бұрын

    Oh, man... Agree.... Back then when I was a student... 2005-2006, discovering and learning new sax players... Yes we were amazed by Joshua, but me personally since first time I heard Chris - a huge fan was born. To this day. And I am talking about southern part of Russia, near sea with lack of real jazz background... I just felt that he is DIFFERENT. He was, he is and he will. Genius player and musician! Got him live twice. In Kiev and then in NY when visited. Have his authograph in my collection :) BUT NOT YOURS, BOB! SInce you didn't come to Buenos Aires last year, I was so saaaad... Hope to hear you live somewhere in the future and get yours too. Thanks for your youtube channel and classes btw!

  • @geralddeloach1391
    @geralddeloach13913 ай бұрын

    Thank you Bob for this absolute gem! I just can’t say enough about the infinite “deepness” of Chris and his music. He is singular in this world and he’s a true master artist.

  • @SidLaw500
    @SidLaw5002 ай бұрын

    That solo!!! Wow...tears.

  • @bluessax5089
    @bluessax50893 ай бұрын

    Yup, I remember the year 1992 Joshua Redman put out his self titled cassette. He had a fat sound, he’s very musical, had a wonderful and deep, jazz and blues vocabulary, but the main thing that obsessed me about Joshua Redman was how he was able to build a solo. Every Time!! Every single solo, you can feel yourself walking through all the various rooms of a house until you make it to the roof. I always felt as if I was flying with him. 🙏🏽. Every subsequent CD literally felt as if there was a new gospel added to the Bible. Until the pinnacle “Elastic” band was formed with Brian and Sam 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 AND he was using effects?? 😭😭😭😭 I was musically, overwhelmed with Joy hearing sounds that exceeded my expectation! Since that album, I have felt that Joshua Redman became more introspective with his music. Much more. I know his father passed away, and I read in an article where Christian McBride said that he was tired of so much people pleasing, and playing up to other peoples expectations. I can respect that.

  • @ThomAvella
    @ThomAvella3 ай бұрын

    love how you can hear people getting their minds blown in the audience by the sheer mastery on display. seems to be a recurring theme at his masterclasses.

  • @williammurray1620
    @williammurray16203 ай бұрын

    Holy cow...that was just incredilble. Thanks for sharing.

  • @michaelstevens8
    @michaelstevens83 ай бұрын

    Bob, hello from Kansas City, Missouri. Chris says that if he likes what he's written too much, that it might not be that great after all. One reason why is because it might be very similar to something he's already written. In other words, he's falling back on a familiar habit/sound that he likes. Plus at that point it's too soon to be objective about it. This can happen to any Songwriter/Composer. You also mentioned the Architecture of his solos. In other words the way he tells a story. The thing I like to remember about that is, Telling a Story with a Solo doesn't always mean the solo has to have a Volcanic Climax at the end. It simply means having a discernable Beginning, Middle and End that the listener can follow, which then creates an Emotional Connection with the listener. Also for anyone that's interested, please check out The Jazz Composers Companion by Gil Goldstein. Not only is it a Great book about Jazz Composing but it has interviews with Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Ralph Towner, Randy Breaker and others about their Songwriting/Composing Processes. Thanks.

  • @jamiemeansjamesmusic
    @jamiemeansjamesmusic3 ай бұрын

    I love how he talks about the great American songbook, and how those songs were Broadway show tunes and are now referred to as standards. Reminds me of how James Carter feels about these songs, that they'll "never die, because of the eternal themes" that just aren't present in some modern music today. Love, heartbreak, connection, sorrow, loss. They are such fascinating songs.

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    truth

  • @ScarletGoukSaxophonist
    @ScarletGoukSaxophonist3 ай бұрын

    Thank you Bob for sharing this! :)

  • @bobblues1158
    @bobblues11583 ай бұрын

    Thanks Bob.

  • @Orlando-wn4uc
    @Orlando-wn4uc3 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing!

  • @DomPusey
    @DomPusey3 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much for sharing this, always a treat to get an insight into the minds of the greatest musicians.

  • @swimbuddy-zp8gw
    @swimbuddy-zp8gw3 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing. Now i want to learn that melody. So Beautiful.

  • @kentmatsui2724
    @kentmatsui27243 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for this Bob! Loved it!! I'm a singer and songwriter first but love playing tenor. Chris' song made me emotional even without words. How amazing to hear someone who has so much technical prowess but understand the art of composition so well that he is be able to touch people's hearts with it instead of just wowing them with his mastery of tehchnique even though he does both.

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    Amen, amen, amen --> "How amazing to hear someone who has so much technical prowess but understand the art of composition so well that he is be able to touch people's hearts with it instead of just wowing them with his mastery of technique"

  • @BrianBurgess-jg6bs
    @BrianBurgess-jg6bs3 ай бұрын

    Frightening! Wow

  • @devinwright131
    @devinwright1313 ай бұрын

    Beautiful. In other words, don't overcomplicate your melody or your harmonic choices when writing ;) Of all the stuff I've ever written it's the simplest things that my friends enjoy playing the most.

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    same for me

  • @m.charron
    @m.charron3 ай бұрын

    What a lineup! Can we get a project with Chris, Christian Scott, Nate Smith, Mike League, and Richard Bona???

  • @HalethDagore
    @HalethDagore3 ай бұрын

    Sick

  • @hayfordfrempong6369
    @hayfordfrempong63693 ай бұрын

    I'm a fan of Chris Potter

  • @mgbasinski
    @mgbasinski3 ай бұрын

    Heh - that Michael McDonald set was off the hook (was my wife's favorite part of the whole festival that year, so glad we were able to be there).... and yes, Chris was killing it

  • @shuaiyuan3569
    @shuaiyuan35693 ай бұрын

    This man literally smoking at the end

  • @rc2257
    @rc22572 ай бұрын

    Chris is ridiculous. Yeah, I was at Gumfest the year he was artist-in-res. I'm so grateful for all the clips in this video, which give us a little taste of Chris' genius and the utter joy in his playing. If you like this, you will like his live record "Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard" and especially Boogie Stop Shuffle (including the unaccompanied sax intro).

  • @rightchordleadership

    @rightchordleadership

    2 ай бұрын

    I think there is another album of his from the VV called Keys to the Kingdom.

  • @darkcanyonprospecting1148
    @darkcanyonprospecting11483 ай бұрын

    Absolutely sick 🎷🤮👍

  • @dylanmenzies3973
    @dylanmenzies39733 ай бұрын

    Wise

  • @kwootamuckbear9294
    @kwootamuckbear92943 ай бұрын

    Follow the music where you want it to go🎶🎵🎷

  • @Yakushii
    @Yakushii3 ай бұрын

    Maybe a weird take, but I prefer when Chris plays slow. When he plays fast, it goes over my head, but his melodic instinct really hits me when he gives me some time to digest it. I understand that this is MY shortcoming though, and not his. And probably if I transcribed it, the fast stuff would hit me good.

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    You're not alone. Of course as an artist he must do all he is capable of, but (imo) his true depth is revealed in the moments you're speaking of.

  • @TheTrombonism
    @TheTrombonism3 ай бұрын

    Ryan Kisor “On The One” is my favorite version of Chris Potter (on alto). It is outrageous.

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    You mean this: Chris Potter's alto solo on "On The One" - Real Sax Daily #19 kzread.info/dash/bejne/m6N7lcGQZZexqpM.html

  • @TheTrombonism

    @TheTrombonism

    3 ай бұрын

    That’s the one. Soooo good!

  • @christopherfischer6998

    @christopherfischer6998

    Ай бұрын

    That’s such a great album. I also love his solo over the tune “Valhalla.” I believe Potter wrote that one. Turner and Kisor take great solos on that too

  • @JensWeyrich
    @JensWeyrich3 ай бұрын

    @bobreynolds: I have a question: If you or Chris Potter (or any other professional) played a song a second time directly after the first time /or on an other Gig/ or on an other location... Do you play the identycal notes again? Or do you improvise every time, you play the song? There must be several hundreds of notes beeing played in one song. Me, as an amateur, I play a song for 4 Minutes with perhaps 200 Notes. In the same time you play 800 Notes, I guess. I´m a Fan of yours and I learned a lot from you. Greetings from Germany. Jens

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    Different every time. There, of course, will be similarities; we all have our pet phrases and go-to vocabulary. But the goal is - and what CP does so brilliantly - is find new avenues through the material each time.

  • @pedromrls6
    @pedromrls63 ай бұрын

    I would've loved to know about the ground up festival earlier 😢

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    bummer. every February since 2016 kzread.info/dash/bejne/gmhty9qfoNWXqJM.html

  • @mgbasinski

    @mgbasinski

    3 ай бұрын

    It's awesome - go to it. My wife and I went the last 3 years; unfortunately we can 't make it this year, but it is really really worth it....

  • @johndaniel9352
    @johndaniel93523 ай бұрын

    I cannot find the studio or any version for that matter of the tune he demonstrated. I’m going mad bc that’s so beautiful… but searching that title songs that come up do not resemble this at all !!!! What tune is that?

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    The Dreamer Is The Dream open.spotify.com/track/5jxsU8vIjgusrBxUIWgus2

  • @jasonandres6908
    @jasonandres69083 ай бұрын

    Yep, all you can do is laugh. He's just too good.

  • @cecilia_mackie
    @cecilia_mackie3 ай бұрын

    OMG that’s fantastic! Shall we connect?

  • @loisloik2438
    @loisloik24382 ай бұрын

    superstar in wh0Ie sense

  • @MrGuto
    @MrGuto2 ай бұрын

    Can someone please fix Chris’ neck screw?

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    2 ай бұрын

    ☺️

  • @klaus8456
    @klaus84563 ай бұрын

    I finally found the secret to his sound.... His neck screw is super tight😅 (2:39 - 6:16) (jk)

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    ☺️

  • @klaus8456

    @klaus8456

    3 ай бұрын

    @@bobreynolds Awesome video(s) Mr Reynolds, you are an inspiration in the path of the Horn. Have a great day and Bright Moments🙌🏻🙏🏻!

  • @ninjalightning2631
    @ninjalightning26313 ай бұрын

    Yeah Chris is good but there are others out there underestimated Sorry But Michael is still the Tenor God to me

  • @sebastiansprotte2551

    @sebastiansprotte2551

    3 ай бұрын

    Well Brecker isn't underestimated :D

  • @JulianFernandez
    @JulianFernandez3 ай бұрын

    fuck, theres Chris and theres everyone else...

  • @bobreynolds

    @bobreynolds

    3 ай бұрын

    Yup

  • @percyvolnar8010
    @percyvolnar80102 ай бұрын

    Loved chris potter before the internet knew who he was. Now im looking at guys like Greg Osby wondering why the internet wont touch them. Steve Coleman is such a genius, he got a MacArthur genius award for his musical approach, yet no internet sax player will dare touch these players. It breaks my heart. Maybe its time for me to get off the internet. lol.

  • @rightchordleadership

    @rightchordleadership

    2 ай бұрын

    I think it’s because Chris is the most obvious successor to Brecker whereas osby and Coleman - both great players - are coming from a different place.

  • @percyvolnar8010

    @percyvolnar8010

    2 ай бұрын

    @@rightchordleadership Yeah, but if you think that, then you aren't listening to them play standards enough either. Both Greg and Steve have played with legends. You are correct in that they're coming from a different place. "That place", however is a place that people aren't ready to hear yet, because they dont know HOW to hear it. it is also a place that only the curious minds of music will eventually get to. I suspect Jacob Collier is into MBASE. Give it time... people will be all over M-BASE as they are with rap music today. I love Brecker and Chris Potter dearly, but I think an M-Base environment would eff-them-in-the-a. Thats just my opinion, of course.

  • @matthewsparks1288
    @matthewsparks12883 ай бұрын

    Promo sm