George Porter Jr. (The Meters) VIDEO INTERVIEW

“Cissy Strut,” “Lady Marmalade,” “Right Place Wrong Time” … I feel like I am working towards something that will be remembered….”

A giant of the instrument, an elite bassist whose tone and phrasing renders him recognizable in first measure of any passage he renders, George Joseph Porter Jr. is a founding member of The Meters (with Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, and Zigaboo Modeliste) and among of the forefathers of the genre referred to as “funk.” Make that ‘Nawlins funk….”

To dig deep into the storied history of The Meters, check out this June 2020 Music Aficionado feature by Jim Farber https://bit.ly/3elIC3L

A composer, solo recording artist, producer, valued sideman, and endlessly sampled player, Porter’s signature style is rooted in his growling split-coil “Precision” tone, staccato phrasing, and his absolute mastery of rhythm and space whilst working in tandem with the kick drum of Zigaboo, or any other cat he’s waxed sides with. Every passage George renders means something rhythmically, harmonically, aesthetically – no filler, no wasted notes….

Porter’s collaborations span Tori Amos, Earl King, Harry Connick, Albert Lee, Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, Jimmy Buffett, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Sir Paul, David Byrne, LaBelle, Robbie Robertson, Taj Mahal, Joe Cocker, Robert Palmer, Solomon Burke, Willy DeVille, and John Scofield… to cite a ridiculously select few!

When George isn’t in the studio cutting chart topping, watershed sides, he leads his own ensemble Runnin’ Pardners – a staple on the jam band festival circuit.