{"id":10134,"date":"2025-02-20T09:38:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T15:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=10134"},"modified":"2025-02-23T14:46:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T20:46:28","slug":"george-porter-pocket-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/george-porter-pocket-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Under the Influence of Music: A Conversation with George Porter, Jr. (Part One)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In his magnum opus, \u201cSouthern Nights,\u201d the great Allen Toussaint sets not only the vivid imagery of natural beauty but leaves a lyrical thought deep of wonder: \u201cIts precious beauty lies deep beyond the eye. Goes running through your soul. Like the stories told of old.\u201d This line does more than portray the scenery of the composer\u2019s visual surroundings. It reflects upon the creative brilliance of the city of his origins: New Orleans. The artistic arc of the Crescent City curves through jazz, Blues, rock, funk, zydeco, R&B, hip-hop, tribal music, and so much more. As easy as it is to treat these stylistic thoughts as isolated forms, they are truly all just different points on a finely contoured line of Black artistic excellence. The drum circles of Congo Square have reverberated past the levees, across the bayous, and around the globe. From his boyhood of sitting on stoops listening to local musicians to his most recent Runnin\u2019 Pardners album, Porter\u2019s Pocket<\/em> (Color Red, 2025), George Porter, Jr. has been more than simply connected to this musical lineage; he has been an essential part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porter is perhaps best known for his role – alongside Art Neville and Zigaboo Modeliste – as one of the founders of the Meters. While debate continues as to who invented funk music<\/a>, it is undeniable that the Meters were one of its earliest pioneers. Songs like their classic “Cissy Strut” would be nothing without Porter’s iconic bassline. As the group continued to create, it slowly evolved and changed, never content to stay in only one place. With Cabbage Alley<\/em> (Reprise, 1972), the band added vocals to their previously wholly instrumental releases. With Rejuvenation<\/em> (Reprise, 1974), they created a sampling goldmine. They were also one of the few to perform at the first-ever New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, in 1970. But their own releases and performances are only part of the story of the Meters. Referred to by some as the “Southern Wrecking Crew,” the band has provided backing for some of the most important recordings to come out of New Orleans in the second half of the Twentieth Century: Toussaint’s Southern Nights <\/em>(Reprise, 1975)), Dr. John’s In the Right Place<\/em> (ATCO, 1973), with Lee Dorsey on the Toussaint penned “Ride Your Pony” and “Get Out of My Life Woman” (Amy, Amy, Amy, 1966), and The Wild Tchoupitoulas<\/em> (Island, 1976), to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On his own, Porter has continued to support big-name artists – Paul McCartney, Tori Amos, Taj Mahal, Robbie Robertson, John Scofield, and David Byrne to name a few – who sought the funkiness that the bassist made known. But over the last thirty-five years, much of his attention has been placed on his band, Runnin’ Pardners. While the ensemble has changed size and membership over the years, Porter’s rich low electric bass has remained at its essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Porter’s Pocket<\/em>, the quartet version of the Runnin’ Pardners – with drummer Terrence Howard, keyboardist Michael Lemmler, and guitarist Chris Adkins – eschews vocals in favor of fully instrumental pieces. The abandonment of voice makes it easy to compare the album to early Meters records, but it is wholly its own thing. Built wholly around grooves formed during live performances, the record has a laid-back yet vibrant aesthetic that belies its studio creation. From the hornless suggestion of marching brass bands on “See Me? See Me? See Me?” to the blurring of slow-burning blues and Reggae on “Sauce on the Side,” the malleability of great Black musical forms, and the essential role New Orleans plays in the conversation is evident across the album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are honored to sit down with Porter, in celebration of our fifth anniversary as a site, to discuss Runnin’ Pardners, his musical upbringing, the Meters, Earl King, Professor Longhair, the Wild Tchoupitoulas, sampling, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PostGenre: You have had various incarnations of your Runnin\u2019 Pardners group for over twenty years. What do you enjoy most about it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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George Porter, Jr.: Well, the band has evolved from being a trio to going as large as nine pieces. But as for this four-piece version I’m working with today, what I’ve always liked is that it has never been the kind of band that stayed in a certain space. We go off the reservation so easily without even thinking about it. We play songs, but there is always room for jams. We allow jamming inside of pretty much every song we play. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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