Tommy Potter
Charles Thomas Potter (September 21, 1918 – March 1, 1988) was an American jazz double bass player, best known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950. Tommy Potter was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Potter had first played with Parker in 1944, in Billy Eckstine's band with Dizzy Gillespie, Lucky Thompson and Art Blakey. Potter also performed and recorded with many other notable jazz musicians, including Count Basie, Buck Clayton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Stan Getz, Tyree Glenn, Eddie Heywood, Earl Hines, Charles Lloyd, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, and Artie Shaw.
Also recorded as Charles Thomas Potter
Tommy Potter
![Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Charlie Parker, Tommy Potter, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, Three Deuces, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in. Caption from Down](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/%28Portrait_of_Charlie_Parker%2C_Tommy_Potter%2C_Miles_Davis%2C_Duke_Jordan%2C_and_Max_Roach%2C_Three_Deuces%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._Aug._1947%29_%28LOC%29_%284843140781%29.jpg/1024px-%28Portrait_of_Charlie_Parker%2C_Tommy_Potter%2C_Miles_Davis%2C_Duke_Jordan%2C_and_Max_Roach%2C_Three_Deuces%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._Aug._1947%29_%28LOC%29_%284843140781%29.jpg)
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Charlie Parker, Tommy Potter, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, Three Deuces, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947] (LOC) · Public domain
- Name
- Tommy Potter
- Birth Name
- Charles Thomas Potter
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Born
- 21 September 1918
- Died
- 1 March 1988
- Occupation
- Musician
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- jazz
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Charles Thomas Potter (September 21, 1918 – March 1, 1988) was an American jazz double bass player, best known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950. Tommy Potter was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Potter had first played with Parker in 1944, in Billy Eckstine's band with Dizzy Gillespie, Lucky Thompson and Art Blakey. Potter also performed and recorded with many other notable jazz musicians, including Count Basie, Buck Clayton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Stan Getz, Tyree Glenn, Eddie Heywood, Earl Hines, Charles Lloyd, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, and Artie Shaw.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Tommy Potter (1918–1988) was an American musician. The musician was born and died in Philadelphia. Tommy Potter was a member of Willis Jackson Quintet.
Genres include jazz. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Tommy Potter. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1369941 · wikipedia · Tommy Potter
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Tommy Potter • Birth Name — Charles Thomas Potter • Birthplace — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Born — 21 September 1918 • Died — 1 March 1988 • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — Double bass
As sideman
As sideman
• Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins (Prestige, 1956) – with Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins and Art Taylor With Stan Getz • Stan Getz Quartets (Prestige, 1949–50 [1955]) • The Complete Roost Recordings (Blue Note, 1950–54 [1997]) With Al Cohn • Al Cohn's Tones (Savoy, 1950 [1956]) With Sonny Stitt • Kaleidoscope (Prestige, 1950 [1957]) • Stitt's Bits (Prestige, 1950 [1958]) • Stitt in Orbit (Roost, 1962) With Gene Ammons • All Star Sessions (Prestige, 1950–55 [1956]) With Artie Shaw • Artie Shaw & His Gramercy 5 (Clef, 1954) - including Tal Farlow, Hank Jones, Irv Kluger, Joe Roland • Artie Shaw – The Last Recordings Rare & Unreleased (1992 Re-issue) With Cecil Payne • Patterns of Jazz (Savoy, 1956) With Freddie Redd • Freddie Redd in Sweden (1956) With Phil Woods • Four Altos (Prestige, 1957) – with Gene Quill, Sahib Shihab and Hal Stein With Willis Jackson • Please Mr. Jackson (Prestige, 1959) • Cool "Gator" (Prestige, 1959) • Blue Gator (Prestige, 1959) • Together Again! (Prestige, 1959 [1965]) – with Jack McDuff • Together Again, Again (Prestige, 1959 [1966]) – with Jack McDuff With Tommy Flanagan • The Tommy Flanagan Trio (Moodsville, 1960) With Jo Jones • Vamp 'til Ready (Everest, 1960) With Joe Williams • Together (Roulette, 1961) with Harry "Sweets" Edison With Jimmy Forrest • Out of the Forrest (Prestige, 1961) • Sit Down and Relax with Jimmy Forrest (Prestige, 1961) • Most Much! (Prestige, 1961) • Soul Street (New Jazz, 1962)
![Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Tommy Potter, Joe Marsala, Jay Higginbotham, Adele Girard, Tom Williston, Nesuhi Ertegun, Herb Abramson, Katherine Hurley, and G. Hurley, Turkish Embassy, Washington, D.C., 193-] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/%28Portrait_of_Tommy_Potter%2C_Joe_Marsala%2C_Jay_Higginbotham%2C_Adele_Girard%2C_Tom_Williston%2C_Nesuhi_Ertegun%2C_Herb_Abramson%2C_Katherine_Hurley%2C_and_G._Hurley%2C_Turkish_Embassy%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.%2C_193-%29_%28LOC%29_%284931778321%29.jpg/800px-%28Portrait_of_Tommy_Potter%2C_Joe_Marsala%2C_Jay_Higginbotham%2C_Adele_Girard%2C_Tom_Williston%2C_Nesuhi_Ertegun%2C_Herb_Abramson%2C_Katherine_Hurley%2C_and_G._Hurley%2C_Turkish_Embassy%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.%2C_193-%29_%28LOC%29_%284931778321%29.jpg)
Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Tommy Potter, Joe Marsala, Jay Higginbotham, Adele Girard, Tom Williston, Nesuhi Ertegun, Herb Abramson, Katherine Hurley, and G. Hurley, Turkish Embassy, Washington, D.C., 193-] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Tommy Potter, Joe Marsala, Jay Higginbotham, Adele Girard, Tom Williston, Nesuhi Ertegun, Herb Abramson, Katherine Hurley, and G. Hurley, Turkish Embassy, Washington, D.C., 193-] (LOC)
![Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Tommy Myles and Tommy Potter, Washington, D.C., ca. Mar. 1942] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/%28Portrait_of_Tommy_Myles_and_Tommy_Potter%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.%2C_ca._Mar._1942%29_%28LOC%29_%285104549637%29.jpg/800px-%28Portrait_of_Tommy_Myles_and_Tommy_Potter%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.%2C_ca._Mar._1942%29_%28LOC%29_%285104549637%29.jpg)
Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Tommy Myles and Tommy Potter, Washington, D.C., ca. Mar. 1942] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Tommy Myles and Tommy Potter, Washington, D.C., ca. Mar. 1942] (LOC)
Discography
• Illustration — Potter (left) with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, c. August 1947 Photo: William P. Gottlieb • Tommy Potter's Hard Funk, (East-West, 1956)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Colin Larkin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness Publishing. 1982. 1992. 0-85112-939-0.
- 2.Paul Desmond Interviews Charlie Parker Retrieved June 28, 2013.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,832 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Tommy OlivenciaPerson
- Tommy OverstreetPerson
- Tommy PagePerson
- Tommy PortimoPerson
- Tommy ReillyPerson
- Tommy RidgleyPerson
- Tommy RoePerson
- Tommy SandsPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Tommy Potter?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.