This week, I had the chance to interview the great Dave Potter, who is one of my favorite drummers. His playing is powerful, sensitive, and swinging and he has been gaining wide attention for his work both as a leader and sideman.

In addition to his role as the long time drummer of the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Dave has performed with Marcus Roberts, Ellis Marsalis, Marcus Printup, Russell Gunn, Greg Tardy, and many others. In 2017, Dave released his first album as a bandleader, You Already Know, which is an amazing album that features musicians like Jason Marsalis, Louis Heriveaux, Miguel Alvarado, Marus Roberts, and Craig Shaw among other great players. Based in Atlanta, Dave maintains a busy teaching and performing schedule.

In this interview, we discuss the pandemic and its effect on working musicians, Dave’s musical history, jam session etiquette, high-profile gigs with Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, and Marcus Roberts, an upcoming recording project, and much more.