0
Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes
American jazz drummer and group leader
1
Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt
American jazz saxophonist
2
Charlie Persip
Charlie Persip
American jazz drummer
3
Curley Russell
Curley Russell
American jazz musician
4
Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar
American bassist
5
Leonard Gaskin
Leonard Gaskin
American musician
6
Duke Jordan
Duke Jordan
American musician
7
George Duvivier
George Duvivier
American musician
8
Art Taylor
Art Taylor
American jazz drummer
9
Gene Ramey
Gene Ramey
American musician
10
Wendell Marshall
Wendell Marshall
American jazz musician; double bassist
11
Leroy Williams
Leroy Williams
American jazz drummer
12
Max Roach
Max Roach
American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer
13
Kenny Dorham
Kenny Dorham
American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer
14
Shadow Wilson
Shadow Wilson
American jazz drummer (1919-1959)
15
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
American saxophonist
16
Percy Heath
Percy Heath
American musician
17
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
American musician
18
Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons
American jazz tenor saxophonist
19
Jimmy Cleveland
Jimmy Cleveland
American jazz trombonist
20
Jack McDuff
Jack McDuff
American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader
21
Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
American jazz saxophonist
22
Red Holloway
Red Holloway
American jazz tenor saxophonist
23
Larry Gales
Larry Gales
American musician
24
Walter Bishop Jr.
Walter Bishop Jr.
American jazz pianist, recording artist
25
Seldon Powell
Seldon Powell
American musician
26
Barry Harris
Barry Harris
American bebop jazz pianist
27
Walter Perkins
Walter Perkins
American drummer
28
Doug Watkins
Doug Watkins
American jazz double bassist
29
Jimmy Forrest
Jimmy Forrest
African American jazz musician
30
Jimmie Smith
Jimmie Smith
American jazz drummer
31
Wilbur Ware
Wilbur Ware
American musician
32
Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
American jazz guitarist
33
Ben Riley
Ben Riley
American drummer
34
Thad Jones
Thad Jones
American jazz trumpeter
35
Freddie Redd
Freddie Redd
American pianist
36
Jerome Richardson
Jerome Richardson
American jazz multi-instrumentalist
37
Joe Newman
Joe Newman
American musician
38
Teddy Kotick
Teddy Kotick
American musician
39
James Buffington
James Buffington
American musician
40
Nelson Boyd
Nelson Boyd
American musician
41
Al Lucas
Al Lucas
Canadian jazz musician
42
Louis Hayes
Louis Hayes
American drummer
43
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon
American jazz tenor saxophonist
44
Phil Woods
Phil Woods
American saxophonist
45
George Morrow
George Morrow
American jazz bassist
46
Billy Higgins
Billy Higgins
American jazz drummer
47
Tadd Dameron
Tadd Dameron
American pianist
48
Freddie Green
Freddie Green
American jazz guitarist
49
Cecil Payne
Cecil Payne
American jazz saxophonist
50
Jimmy Rowles
Jimmy Rowles
American jazz pianist
51
Julius Watkins
Julius Watkins
American jazz musician
52
Bennie Green
Bennie Green
American musician
53
Joe Benjamin
Joe Benjamin
American musician
54
Don Lamond
Don Lamond
American musician
55
Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke
American jazz drummer
56
Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Danish-born American jazz musician and trombonist
57
Sam Jones
Sam Jones
American double bassist and cellist
58
Al McKibbon
Al McKibbon
American musician
59
Art Mardigan
Art Mardigan
American musician
60
Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer
American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer
61
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
American musician
62
Barry Galbraith
Barry Galbraith
American guitarist
63
Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
American recording artist; jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist
64
Walter Davis
Walter Davis
American pianist
65
Frankie Dunlop
Frankie Dunlop
American jazz drummer
66
Herb Ellis
Herb Ellis
American jazz guitarist
67
J. R. Monterose
J. R. Monterose
American musician
68
Al Haig
Al Haig
American pianist
69
Reunald Jones
Reunald Jones
American musician
70
Stan Levey
Stan Levey
American musician
71
Brew Moore
Brew Moore
American musician
72
Jimmy Raney
Jimmy Raney
American musician
73
Lennie McBrowne
Lennie McBrowne
American musician
Tommy Potter
American musician

Tommy Potter

Intro
American musician
Genres
Music
Tommy Potter, left, with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, c. August 1947
Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Charles Thomas Potter (September 21, 1918 – March 1, 1988) was a jazz double bass player, best known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950.

Born in Philadelphia, 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 Earl Hines, Artie Shaw, Bud Powell, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Max Roach, Eddie Heywood, Tyree Glenn, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Buck Clayton and Charles Lloyd.