George Porter Jr

I recently added George Porter Jr, New Orleans bass player extraordinaire, to my friends on MySpace and after spending some time on his space dropped over to his website. Both are well worth a visit to listen to clips of his recent album It's Life and to trawl through his wonderful collection of photos from back in the day to the present.

If you are not aware of his music then this is what he has to say:

"If I could not perform tomorrow...I know that I would still feel good about where I am today" -George Porter, Jr.

Few bass players in the history of modern New Orleans music are as storied as George Porter Jr. During the course of a career spanning four decades, Porter has not only made a deep impression with his work in the Meters, but he’s notched sessions with artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, David Byrne, Patti LaBelle, Robbie Robertson and Tori Amos. Early in his career, Porter worked with seminal New Orleans artists like Allen Toussaint, Earl King, Lee Dorsey, and Johnny Adams. Back in 1965, Porter joined on with the Meters, considered by many to be the ultimate fusion of rock, funk and R&B, and gained recognition as one of the scene’s elite bass players.

Porter’s rhythmic work in the Meters in lockstep with drummer Zigaboo Modeliste was epic. Those pockets, the long notes and fat holes, provided the cushion for Leo Nocentelli or Art Neville to play or sing over and created some of R&B history’s most memorable grooves.
Today, Porter features that epic bottom end in his latest collection of Porter Batiste Stoltz tunes. “It’s the ultimate jam band,” Porter says, “one that actually is more musical than just playing everything you know in every song. This band slaps people in the face until they see how good the stuff is!”

George describes his latest album as follows:

"It's Life" is the brand new studio album from George Porter, Jr. Boasting a backing band comprised of legendary New Orleans musicians, "It's Life" features seven never-before-heard original compositions, including the striking new song "Waterfall." These smooth sounds are featured alongside deep grooves like the Porter classic "All I Do Everyday," Curtis Mayfield's "Here But I'm Gone," and the Meters' "Out In The Country." A must have for any George fan!"It's Life" is now available for sale in stores and is also available worldwide through George's web store.

Yeah, you right. Funkify your life!