Biography
Los Angeles native Ryan Porter, a trombonist born in 1979, established himself early as a skilled and much-in-demand musician while helping launch the acclaimed jazz, hip-hop, and funk ensemble West Coast Get Down. His fascination with jazz and the trombone surfaced around age ten; during high school he pursued private instruction, performed in the marching band, and joined a competitive multi-school jazz group that also featured future bandmate Kamasi Washington on saxophone. In his teenage years Porter crossed paths with drummer Billy Higgins, who mentored him and opened doors to the veteran’s celebrated workshops and jam sessions. Porter advanced rapidly enough to secure scholarship support for New York’s Manhattan School of Music upon graduation, where his teachers included bass trombonist David Taylor and jazz trombonist Steve Turre, a longtime member of the Saturday Night Live Band.
After completing his studies in 2001, Porter returned to Los Angeles and soon began extensive touring and recording work with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Kanye West, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Nick Cave, among numerous others. He also served regularly in the house bands for the television programs American Idol and The Voice. Back in his hometown he joined Washington, bassist Miles Moseley, pianist Cameron Graves, and additional musicians to found the boundary-crossing collective West Coast Get Down. Porter’s first album, the 2017 release Spangle Lang-Lane, showcased his West Coast Get Down colleagues reinterpreting traditional nursery rhymes through sweeping arrangements steeped in jazz, soul, and R&B.
After completing his studies in 2001, Porter returned to Los Angeles and soon began extensive touring and recording work with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Kanye West, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Nick Cave, among numerous others. He also served regularly in the house bands for the television programs American Idol and The Voice. Back in his hometown he joined Washington, bassist Miles Moseley, pianist Cameron Graves, and additional musicians to found the boundary-crossing collective West Coast Get Down. Porter’s first album, the 2017 release Spangle Lang-Lane, showcased his West Coast Get Down colleagues reinterpreting traditional nursery rhymes through sweeping arrangements steeped in jazz, soul, and R&B.