BIOGRAPHY
Jane Potter, an associate professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, performs around the country and internationally with her jazz groups and as a soloist. She has performed live on National Public Radio, at the Democratic Convention, and on WGBH radio station. Jane’s regular and current jazz gigs in Greater Boston include an eight-year run at the Oak Bar in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.
Jane also performs as a soloist and in the duet and trio settings for weddings and parties. These ensembles perform jazz and pop, as well as classical music.
Jane has been an accompanist for vocalists in a variety of genres including Joe McIntyre of the New Kids On the Block; Roland Wyatt, vocal coach for the Manhatten Transfer, and Kamal Scott, an active Broadway performer who had the title role in “The Wiz.” She performed for the Aaron Copeland 100th Year Birthday Symposium with internationally known baritone Robert Honeysucker.
Prior to teaching at Berklee, Jane was on the music faculty at Northeastern University (1996 2004). She began her teaching career at Brookline Music School, serving on its Board of Directors while on faculty.
Jane is also a faculty member at Boston University’s Evergreen Program that promotes lifelong learning for elders in the community. Jane’s classes include: “Titans of Jazz,” “Women in Music,” and “The Great American Song Book.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT JANE
“Pianist Jane Potter and bassist Dmitry Gorodetsky showed up to play. And nobody stopped them. That’s the part that’s the killer…. And even though the duo played for real, took chances…and made ear stretching sounds, no one complained. No one interfered. It seems as if the people running the Oak Bar really want live jazz in the room. Well, that’s what they’ve got…”
- Stu Vandermark, “Boston Jazz Scene”
“In a word, wow. The music was perfect. Well-balanced play list, great musicians. A joy to have them at our event.”
- D. Hyde, testdevices.com
“Your trio was sensational. Everyone I talked with loved the band.”
- Mark Sutton, Velocity Development Group, LLC
“Jane is a hard teacher but a very thorough one and knows how to make the subject palpable and enjoyable. She is very skilled in the area and that helped us all get our acts together. If a pigeon follows around a dog it will soon learn how to bark, and Jane had us all barking like crazed pitbulls by the end of the semester.”
- course evaluation comment from a Berklee College student
“You were, are, fantastic … ears should burn. Alssid, who runs Evergreen, and I agreed, you are the best. Teaching obviously has polished your innate skills, and the piano playing is a 10, but you have a gift speaking –explaining-demos. Wish I still had a weekly NPR radio gig. So much of what we do people love, and is not offered anymore.”
- Virginia Eskin, world-renowned pianist, music educator, and NPR radio host of “A Note To You.”