Phillip Potestio

Phillip Potestio has been surrounded by weird artists all his life. Whether watching his grandfather start the study of sculpture while in his late '70s or peeking over his father's shoulder as he faithfully painted the Kennedy and Johnson graced covers of Life Magazine, Phil has had an unique and skewed exposure to the world of art.

Phil's own artistic pursuits have been varied . After directing and acting in several 8mm productions, including the acclaimed "All the President's Ears" (1976), he decided to pursue a path of filmwork. That led to a study of film criticism that led to the writing of poetry.

It's somehow fitting that a chance meeting at a party should catapult Phil into the performance arena. The creation of the ensemble Borrowed Millions, then the forming of Poetic Justice perfectly suited the needs of this life-long saxophonist with increasing piles of poetry. In 1986 he joined what were the Artichokes and continues to practice their free-form madness. In 1990 Phil joined with 064 to produce and perform "I am a Drug Law Addict" as part of the Hidden Apparatus is at Us series. Phil subsequently joined "Process for Crisis" by Process at the Folcrom, also in 1990.

Phil subsequently joined Process (now known as "(the real) Process" due to the appropriation of the name by some out-of-town wannabes) for Crisis by Process at the Folcrom, also in 1990. In 1991 Process, featuring 064, Carola Baer, Phil Potestio, Michael Stocker and former Brass Band founder Johannes Mager performed Wasting Time Worrying about the Wrong Things at 21 Bernice.

A later Process line-up featured 064 on guitar, synthesizer and drum machine with vocalist-saxophonist Phil Potestio, trombonist Johannes Mager and bassist-Chapman Stick player Bruce Fraser performed at several Bay Area nightclubs including Nightbreak, Kommotion, Spike's, Boomerang and Brainwash.

BAM magazine described their recording "You Know/Just Let it Be" in the March 11, 1994 issue: "effectively combines quick tempos, tribal drumming, distant horns, and warped synthetic sounds to create a cyberdance experience...an indulgent treat" (Kent Lundberg)

In 2001 (the real) Process released the full length CD "Earth: The World's Most Dangerous Planet." Since then the band has mysteriously disappeared from the San Francisco Bay Area scene amid persistent rumors that Phil Potestio is currently residing in Italy.

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Improvised Music featuring the members of Process and others.