Chris Potter's jazz improvisation based on underground project

Abstract

The purpose of this Graduate Recital Documents was to study Chris Potter's saxophone playing style and his improvisation approaches, which serves as a consideration for a Master's saxophone recital. Five tunes are selected from Chris Potter's Underground Project, and studied comprehensively in order to present his concepts, development, and perspectives on improvisation. The selected tunes are The Wheel, Rumples, Train, Pop Tune, and Tweet. In additions, the researcher also composes W, a new tune inspired by Potter's style and outstanding characteristics of the Underground Project. The Underground Project represents a contemporary jazz style, which has its roots in soul and funk. The band is a quartet without a bass instrument, combining tenor saxophone, electric guitar, Fender Rhodes and a drum set. The significance of Potter's Underground in terms of composition is the constant alternation of meter between 7/8 and 9/8. Also, he implements a chromatic approach to target notes, superimposing pentatonic scales and pentatonic patterns. The results of study and analysis enable the researcher to gain intimate knowledge of Pottera's style, which was applied to inform an engaging, insightful Master's recital.;