Lewis Porter
Lewis Porter (PhD, Brandeis, 1983) is a jazz pianist, composer (of everything from leadsheets to works for orchestra and soloists), an author, a Professor of Music at Rutgers University in Newark since 1986, and founder and director of the Master's Program in Jazz History and Research there since Fall 1997. A leading scholar and historian of all eras of jazz, he has dedicated his career to raising the standards of jazz scholarship, and to mentoring young scholars worldwide and in his Master's program. Before 1986, he taught full-time at Tufts, and part-time at Brandeis (while earning his PhD there in music history, which he received in 1983). He has also taught part-time at the New School, Manhattan School of Music, Jazz At Lincoln Center, and as a guest at numerous colleges in the US and Europe. He is an author or coauthor of seven books and numerous articles on jazz, and a consultant to record producers, publishers, and producers of jazz radio shows and films. He is a frequent guest on radio (NPR, WNYC, WBGO, etc.), often quoted in print (NY Times, Star Ledger, etc.) and occasionally appears on TV and film (BET, BBC). He was Jazz Talk moderator for 2006-9 at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he organized and led four panels a year. He made numerous media appearances in 2005 about his role in researching and releasing the Monk/Coltrane Carnegie Hall recording. He was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 (under Best Historical Reissue) for his role in producing the boxed set of Coltrane's Atlantic Recordings. Dr. Porter has performed extensively as a pianistcheck out VIDEOS where you will see him with Dave Liebman and others. Under MUSIC you will find information about his CDs, and audio samples. The critics rave: A HELLUVA PIANO PLAYER (Jazz Times). (Porter plays) with a lively glitter and amazing sense of assurance. Mixing experimental with traditional, (he) plays up a storm. Porter is a deep thinker (whose music is) founded upon depth and cunning use of space. He is also increasingly active as a composer, not only for jazz combos but for larger groupshis three-movement concerto for saxophone and orchestra will be performed by Dave Liebman at Harvard U, April 19, 2012. He is accepting commissions for more such works. These are not jazz arrangements, but original through-composed pieces influenced by the language of Stravinsky and Prokofiev, as well as jazz.
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Radio
Album Review
- Piano Solo by Dan Bilawsky
- Beauty & Mystery by Mike Jurkovic
Multiple Reviews
Interview
Catching Up With
Album Review
- Second Voyage by David Adler
September 24, 2007
Lewis Porter Trio Plus Special Guests at Trumpets Friday, October 26th
August 16, 2007
Lewis Porter September Gigs with Ravi Coltrane and More at Big Apple...
August 01, 2007
Lewis Porter Trio at Big Apple Jazz Friday, August 10th 8:30-11PM
March 04, 2006
Lewis Porter / Dan Faulk Duo @ Lily Pad 17 March
January 03, 2003
Primary Instrument
Piano
Willing to teach
Intermediate to advanced
Credentials/Background
LESSONS WITH LEW (IN PERSON OR BY SKYPE) Over the years I have collected information from many leading musicians, both jazz and classical, about technique and improvisation. At this stage in my life I find that I am able to sift through and organize the best information out there, as well as what my own experience can offer, to create individual practice plans for other musicians that are highly efficient and that facilitate rapid and substantive musical progress. My price is $100 per lesson (a "generous" houroften a bit more than one hour). I often provide the student with PDFs of notated music to practice between lessons (no extra fee for this). I live in Port Chester, NY, but I also now offer lessons and tutorials worldwide using Skype or iChat. You aim your laptop at your piano or keyboard and I am able to see everythingI have a keyboard here where I demonstrate things. Same price of $100 per lesson, payable through Paypal. Some musicians choose to take an occasional lesson (for example, when i happen to be in Boston for gigs), while others like a regular time of once or twice a month etc. Whatever works for you is fine with me.