2001 · Album
This Will Be: The Jazzpar Prize 2000
Recorded Live in Denmark, 2000 · Storyville · Occasion: Jazzpar Prize 2000 celebration concerts
A Prize Celebrated in Live Time
Potter at thirty displays tremendous chops and the skills of a seasoned composer, well worth acquiring by post-bop fans.
In 2000, Chris Potter received the Jazzpar Prize, one of jazz's most respected international honors. Rather than a studio session, the Danish organization chose to mark the occasion with live concerts, capturing Potter's music in real time before an audience. Those performances became This Will Be, his first live album—recorded in Denmark as part of the prize celebration and released on the Storyville label in 2001.
What matters here is the directness of the live setting. Potter was still in his twenties, already drawing serious attention in the U.S. jazz scene, and these concerts offered a chance to hear him in the moment, without overdubs or studio refinement. AllMusic reviewer Ken Dryden awarded the album four stars, noting that Potter displays tremendous command of the tenor saxophone alongside real compositional and arranging skills—the work of someone already seasoned despite his youth.
This is a strong entry point if you're curious about Potter's development at a specific moment in his career. The live format means you're hearing his instincts and his band's interaction unfiltered. For post-bop listeners looking for something contemporary but rooted in recognizable jazz tradition, the album delivers solid musicianship and the kind of playing that made Potter a fixture in serious jazz circles.
Who's playing
Scott Colleybass
Kevin Hayspiano
Jacob Fischerguitar
Billy Drummondmembranophone
Peter Fuglsangwoodwind
Chris Potterwoodwind
Kasper Tranbergcornett
