Remembering Ryan Porter: Trombonist and West Coast Get Down Luminary Passes Away at 46
Los Angeles' West Coast Get Down scene mourns the loss of trombonist Ryan Porter, who contributed to landmark albums by Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington. He died at 46 following injuries sustained in a car accident.
Los Angeles' jazz community is in mourning after the passing of Ryan Porter, a trombonist celebrated for his integral role in the West Coast Get Down scene and his contributions to pivotal albums by artists like Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington. According to the Los Angeles Times, Porter died on Saturday from injuries sustained in a car crash on April 28th. He was 46 years old.
Friend and fellow musician Tony Austin shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram:
Born in Los Angeles in 1979, Porter honed his musical talents under the guidance of Reggie Andrews in the Multi-School Jazz Band in Watts. This experience led to formative connections with future collaborators such as Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Ronald Bruner, and Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner). He furthered his studies at the Manhattan School of Music under esteemed jazz trombonists Steve Turre and David Taylor before returning to his native Los Angeles.
The vibrant community of musicians that Porter was a part of cultivated a creative atmosphere that transcended genres, influencing both the jazz and hip-hop scenes. Informal sessions in Washington's parents' garage, known as the Shack, evolved into regular performances at the World Stage in Leimert Park. A defining moment was the marathon 30-day session at Kingsize Soundlabs in December 2011, which resulted in music for seven albums, including Washington's groundbreaking triple album The Epic, released in 2015.
The West Coast Get Down's contributions to The Epic and Kendrick Lamar's experimental jazz-rap album To Pimp A Butterfly in 2015 propelled Porter and his community into the spotlight. The critical acclaim garnered from these projects solidified the West Coast Get Down scene's prominence in the jazz landscape. This exposure paved the way for wider recognition of Porter's solo work. Following his children's album Spangle-Lang Lane in 2017, he released three albums characterized by their optimistic tone: 2018's The Optimist, 2019's Force For Good, and 2022's Resilience, as well as the live album Live In Paris At New Morning.
Porter remained a consistent presence on Washington's albums and frequently shared the stage with him. His extensive discography includes collaborations with a diverse range of artists such as Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Leon Russell, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Quincy Jones, and Gladys Knight. In 2024, he released Resilience, a documentary highlighting free music education programs in Watts and the broader Los Angeles area that played a crucial role in his own musical development. "In the inner city, you can be a gang member or drug dealer, but most kids want to take their best steps,” Porter told the LA Times that same year. "Friends and music teachers inspired me through their work ethic, giving us a place to perform where we could take advantage of that expertise. Now it’s our turn to take care of them for the next generation."
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