Art Porter Sr. (8 February 1934 – 22 July 1993) was an American

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the Musical ...

from

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

. During his musical career, he performed with the Art Porter Trio, founded in 1962, and the Art Porter Singers, founded in 1976. Although primarily playing locally, Porter played FESTAC 77, the World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture held in Nigeria in 1977, and with

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

son Art Porter Jr. did a European tour in 1991 that included festivals in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Porter was also known as an educator. An alum of AM&N College (1954, BA in Music Education) and

Henderson State University Henderson State University (HSU) is a public university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, Henderson has an undergraduate enrollment of around 2,500 students. The campus is located on . H ...

(1975, MS in Music Education), Porter taught at various high schools and colleges, including Parkview High School in Little Rock, Mississippi Valley College and

Philander Smith College Philander Smith University (previously Philander Smith College) is a private historically black college in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is a founding member of the United Negro College Fund (UNC ...

. He produced several education television shows, including ''The Minor Key'' and ''Porterhouse Cuts'' (the latter of which was broadcast throughout 14 states in the US southeast). He was an acquaintance of former Arkansas governor (and president of the United States)

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

, who sometimes played with Porter on saxophone. In 1993, Porter received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arkansas Jazz and Heritage Foundation.

Select discography

*''Little Rock A.M.'' *''Something Else'' *''Portrait of Art''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Art Sr. 1934 births 1993 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Musicians from Little Rock, Arkansas 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Arkansas 20th-century American male musicians