In Memoriam
This discography is dedicated to the memory of Trevor Pike and Jay Knowles. Over the years, we exchanged countless emails—sharing recordings, swapping stories, and bonding over our mutual admiration for Chris Potter's music.
About This Project
I started this discography in 2010 as an undergraduate at the University of North Texas. I had been captivated by Chris Potter's playing for years and wanted to transcribe some of his solos on standards, but I couldn't find a comprehensive list of his recordings. Fortunately, I was working in UNT's Music Library—one of the largest collections of recorded music in the country—and spent about a year compiling what I thought was a complete list of his sideman work.
I taught myself HTML and CSS to put it online, launching the first version in summer 2011. Within months, I began receiving emails from fans around the world, many pointing me to recordings I'd missed. This project eventually led web development to become part of my Doctorate of Musical Arts at USC.
Two correspondents left a lasting mark on this work. Trevor Pike first wrote to me on June 30, 2012, and what began as a simple email became a years-long friendship conducted entirely through correspondence. Trevor sent lengthy, eloquent accounts of his adventures hunting rare Potter recordings—outbidding collectors on eBay, tracking down European releases, once even sleeping in his car overnight in the rain to attend a concert. His passion was infectious.
Trevor introduced me to Jay Knowles, who had been one of Chris's early teachers in Columbia, South Carolina. Jay shared recordings from Chris's youth that no amount of library research could have uncovered. Between Trevor's bootlegs and Jay's early tapes, they helped fill gaps I never knew existed.
I stopped actively updating this discography in late 2016, but it remains online as a resource for fellow fans—and as a testament to the unlikely friendships that music can create.