Tommy Potter
Acoustic Bass Solo on
Buzzy

About

Tommy Potter closes out the solos on acoustic bass with one chorus, following Bud Powell at approximately 214 BPM. Set within a swinging rhythmic framework, the 12-bar Blues form and the key of B♭, the solo navigates the chord changes with purpose. Coming last in the solo order, Potter has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. Buzzy is a lesser-known title from the historic May 1947 Savoy session but serves as a strong example of how the Parker quintet could transform the simple blues into a vehicle for sustained creative expression.

Tommy Potter was 28 to 29 years old at the time.