Larry Porter

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Born: September 1, 1951 Primary Instrument: Piano

Larry Porter is an adept in the music of both East and West. As a jazz pianist, his playing pays homage to the history of the music, from ragtime through post-bop and into the future. As a rebab player, Porter has been hailed as “...without a doubt one of the best of his generation” by the US-based Afghan magazine, Lemar-Aftaab (http://www.afghanmagazine.com/april2000/music/larry/index.html). In both spheres Porter's compositions, renditions, and improvisations portray multi-dimensional visionary soundscapes conveying the depth and breadth of emotions that encompass the human experience. He is also involved in projects integrating aspects of jazz and other Western music forms with Afghan, Central Asian, and Indian music.

Larry Porter's jazz credentials are impeccable. Porter began taking piano lessons at the age of six. His studies included stints at Eastman School of Music and Berklee College of Music. Since then he has lived and worked in New York City, Munich, Barcelona, and Berlin, where he currently lives. Over the years he has played with such major figures in the music as Thad Jones and Archie Shepp, including extended periods with Chet Baker and Art Farmer. Porter has also had wide-ranging work with such world-class singers as Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy. He has made numerous records as a side-man and under his own name. Larry has successfully lead trios and quartets, including the legendary Porter - Praskin Quartet. He excels in composing and arranging for such small groups, but his writing range extends to include vocal and chamber music, along with works for solo piano and big band. He is also an accomplished lyricist, integrating appropriately affective words into his expressive compositions.

On his arrival in Afghanistan during his 1976 journey through Asia, Larry was captivated by the music of “...a land where music still truly reflects the soul of the people”. He was particularly entranced by the rebab with its mellow resonance and contrasting percussive quality. The rebab is a short-necked lute with 18 strings. It is a traditional instrument of Afghanistan and the surrounding area, and is the precursor of the sarod. In Persian, the first vowel is not written, giving rise to a variety of Western spellings, including rabab, robab, rubab, and rhubab. The name stems from ru = soul, and bab = gateway - the instrument and its music are truly a gateway to the soul. During his stay in Afghanistan, Larry was the student of Ustad Mohammed Omar, acknowledged as the greatest rebab master of his time and the foremost proponent of the Afghan classical style. Over the years Porter has developed a unique style which combines folk traditions with elements of classical Afghan and Indian improvisational styles. His repertoire includes Afghan folk songs, Hindi film tunes, Pakistani ghazals, and classical Afghan and Indian compositions, as well as original pieces composed in the Afghan style.

Larry Porter is striving to create a sort of amalgam of East and West. His goal has been to “...combine everything I know about jazz and Western music with everything I know about Afghan, Central Asian and Indian music. It is of utmost importance to me that an actual transformation takes place in this fusion and not just a layering. I hear this music as having its own integrity different than the mere sum of its parts.”

Last Updated: September 22, 2010

”Silk Road Blues is World Music crafted at a high level and interpreted in the free spirit of Jazz.” -Jazz thing

“This project points the way towards reconciliation and cultural exchange between two peoples who are so desperately in need of mutual understanding.” -The Embassy of Afghanistan, Berlin

as a leader "First Date" (Jazz Stop 139) LP Larry Porter-Allan Praskin Quartet rec. in Barcelona on July 31, 1984 released in Spain LP out of print, but mastered onto CD Larry Porter - piano Allan Praskin - alto sax Rocky Knauer - bass Aldo Caviglia - drums "Acoustic Music" (Popular Records 140) LP Porter-Praskin Quartet rec. in Bremen on May 1 + 2, 1985 released in Germany LP out of print, but mastered onto CD Larry Porter - piano, vocals Allan Praskin - alto sax, bkgd. vocals Bob Arkin - bass James Baker - drums "Sonnet For Sal" (Enja CD 8026-2) Porter-Praskin Quartet with Sal Nistico rec. at the Austrian Radio (ORF) in Linz on Nov. 7, 1988 released in Feb. 1994 currently distributed in Europe and the U.S. Larry Porter - piano Allan Praskin - alto sax Sal Nistico - tenor sax Marc Abrams - bass Paolo Pellegatti - drums "March Blues" (Enja CD 8092-2) Larry Porter Trio rec. in Munich on April 24, 1994 released in May 1995 distribution in Europe, Japan and the U.S. Larry Porter - piano Thomas Stabenow - bass Rick Hollander - drums "The Magical Rebab of Larry Porter" (CD Baby) Larry Porter & Franc Menusan rec. in New York City in 1999 distribution over the internet Larry Porter - rebab Franc Menusan - tabla, dhol "live under the stars" (CD Baby) Larry Porter & Solayman Alizo rec. live in Berlin on July 24, 2001 distribution over the internet Larry Porter - rebab Solayman Alizo - tabla "The Circle Is Unbroken" (meta 024) Larry Porter Trio rec. at Organic Sound, Obing on April 7, 2002 released in 2004 distribution in Europe Larry Porter - piano Johannes Fink - bass Oliver Steidle - drums "SONGS" (organic music 9737) Larry Porter featuring Barbara Mayr rec. at Organic Sound, Obing on May 10, 2002 released in 2004 distribution in Europe Barbara Mayr - vocal Larry Porter - piano Thomas Stabenow - bass John Hollenbeck - drums "Silk Road Blues" (flowfish records FF 0018) Larry Porter rec. at AudioCue Tonlabor, Berlin released in 2010 worldwide distribution Larry Porter - rebab, piano, tamboura Scott White - bass Heinrich Köbberling - drums Solayman Alizo - tabla David Beecroft - soprano & tenor sax Stefan Jezierski - french horn Barbara Sadowski - violin Ori Kam - viola Elena Drath - flute as a sideman “For This Gift” (Gunther Schuller Music Recordings GM 3002) LP Michael Bocian rec. in New York on May 8, June 12 & 16, 1980 Michael Bocian - guitar David Darling - cello Billy Drewes - clarinet, soprano sax, perc. Joe Lovano - soprano sax Paul McCandless - oboe, wood flutes, bass clarinet, english horn Larry Porter - piano David Samuels - marimba "Live In Paris" Volume 1 & 2 (Tutu CD 888 140 & CD 888 182) Monty Waters' Hot House & New York Calling rec. live at the Duc des Lombards, Paris on Dec. 6 + 7, 1991 Monty Waters - alto sax, vocals Larry Porter - piano Stafford James - bass Ronnie Burrage - drums "At Home/On The Road" (JazzMission 101) CD Harvey Wainapel Quartet rec. live at the Satyricon Club in Maastricht, Holland on May 12, 1992 Harvey Wainapel - soprano, alto and tenor sax Larry Porter - piano Thomas Stabenow - bass Mike Clark - drums ("At Home" takes with Mark Levine - piano and Larry Grenadier - bass) "Phases Of The Moon" (Tutu CD 888 160) Marty Cook Group rec. in Munich on Nov. 3, 1993 Marty Cook - trombone Rudi Mahall - bass clarinet Larry Porter - piano or Bill Bickford - guitar Ed Schuller - bass Jim Black - drums "More Of Me" (Bassic-Sound 010) CD Rachel Gould rec. at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg on Nov. 24, 1993 Rachel Gould - vocals Allan Praskin - alto sax Larry Porter - piano Thomas Stabenow - bass Clarence Becton - drums “Mundell’s Moods” (Nagel-Heyer CD 065) Mundell Lowe - Hendrik Meurkens rec. at Blue Noise Studio, Hamburg on Jan. 18, 2000 Mundell Lowe - guitar Hendrik Meurkens - vibraphone, harmonica Larry Porter - piano Pat O’Leary - bass Chuck Redd - drums “On A Clear Day” (moderntune music) Barbara Mayr rec. at Organic Sound, Obing on May 31, 2001 Barbara Mayr - vocals Peter Tuscher - trumpet, flugelhorn Larry Porter - piano Andreas Kurz - bass Florian Oppenrieder - drums “A Night Of Blues And Ballads” (moderntune music) Staffelsee-Quartet rec. at Organic Sound, Obing on March 11, 2002 Johannes Enders - tenor and soprano sax Larry Porter - piano Andreas Kurz - bass Florian Oppenrieder - drums “Sweet Conversation” (Jazzbank MTCJ-1087) Mika Ohashi & Larry Porter rec. in Tokyo, Japan on Feb. 21, 2003 Mika Ohashi - vocal Larry Porter - piano “Jazz Nights in Saint Petersburg” (Russian Vibes ) Alexey Chizhik & Larry Porter rec. in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 21, 2005 Alexey Chizhik - vibraphone Larry Porter - piano “A Different View” (Jazzed Media JM1028) The N. Glenn Davis Quartet rec. in Cleveland, Ohio on Dec. 3 & 5, 2006 Dave Sterner - soprano, alto, tenor sax Larry Porter - piano Dallas Coffey - bass Glenn Davis - drums “German Songbook” (Enja CD 9175-2) Barbara Mayr rec. at Organic Sound, Obing on Feb. 21, 2007 Barbara Mayr - vocal Peter Tuscher - trumpet & flugelhorn Larry Porter - piano & arrangements Andreas Kurz - bass Florian Oppenrieder - drums “Ol' Man River” (interfuse records 5520 500-4) Christian Grabandt / Larry Porter rec. in Berlin on June 7, 2008 Christian Grabandt - trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet Larry Porter - piano

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Primary Instrument:
Piano

Willing to teach:
Intermediate to advanced students

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