Eugene Porter, an expert reed player remembered fondly in the autobiography of Miles Davis, might have been a trumpet player himself had some light-fingered Louie not made off with his very first instrument, a cornet. His recorded appearances including terrific sides from throughout Fats Waller's career, Porter was raised by parents whose love of guitar was apparently part of their marital bond, although neither played professionally. He was brought up in Mississippi but moved to Chicago in high school, playing in marching bands before developing a corrupting interest in jazz that inspired him to quit school entirely. By the late '20s Porter was gigging with regal trumpeter Billy King and studying the licorice stick with Omer Simeon.

A big part of Porter's sound could be poetically described as the distilled essence of New Orleans jazz. He first arrived in the jazz mecca with the aforementioned King, their moving venue an excursion train, their stage a baggage car in which luggage was pushed aside to allow room for dancing. Porter again returned to New Orleans in 1931, playing with the groups of Clarence Desdunes, Papa Celestin, and Sidney Desvignes, among others. A riverboat job with the latter artist imported Porter to St. Louis, where he began working with Tab Smith, Jimmie Lunceford, and then Benny Carter. Near the end of 1942, the reed player was one of the musicians Carter took with him out to Hollywood, a move that led to studio recording assignments and some important appearances on film. Porter can be seen onscreen in movies from this era such as #Stormy Weather, #The Gang's All Here, and #As Thousands Cheer.

Porter's chops on clarinet kept him out of harm's way during the Second World War: he was a soloist in the 103rd Army Band. He went back to work with Carter when the shooting died down, eventually developing a longstanding relationship with trumpeter and singer Walter Fuller. They worked at venues such as San Diego's Club Royal for more than a decade. In the '60s Porter led his own groups in southern California, displaying his chops on the full range of saxophones, clarinet, and flute, sometimes backed only by drums. In the '80s Porter was elected to the St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi