Lewis Porter As of 5/06

Porter, 1

Lewis Porter As of 5/06

86 Birch St.
Port Chester, N.Y. 10573
Phone and fax: 914-690-1022

e-mail:

Specializations: Jazz (all eras), discography and filmography (all types of music; specialty in "live" and unissued items omitted in standard reference works), classical and ethnic musics, film and film history.

Education: Brandeis University. Ph. D. in Musicology, 1983

Tufts University. M.A. in Music Theory, 1979

Northeastern University. M. Ed. in Counseling, 1976

University Of Rochester. B.A. in Psychology, 1972

(including studies at Eastman School Of Music)

Teaching Positions:

1999-presentProfessor of Music, Rutgers University, Newark campus. Founder and director of unique M.A. program in Jazz History and Research since 1997.

1990-1999Assoc. Prof. Of Music, Rutgers University, Newark campus. Music Program Coordinator 1993-1999.

9/05-present.Instructor, Jazz at Lincoln Center, jazz history course; moderator and planner, Jazz Talk panel series.

1994-1996Visiting Faculty, New School University. Jazz history

for undergraduate jazz majors.

1990-1991Visiting Faculty, Manhattan School of Music. Graduate seminar in jazz scholarship, two sections.

1986 - 1990Asst. Prof. Of Music, Rutgers University, Newark campus. Courses in jazz and theory, graduate jazz course at New Brunswick campus, and supervision of M.M. students.

(1989-90 On leave as a N. J. Governor's Fellow in the Humanities.)

Spring 1989 Visiting Asst. Prof. Of Music, New York University, Ph.D. program in Musicology. Graduate seminar in jazz scholarship.

Summer 1988 "Teaching Jazz: An Institute for College Teachers," funded by New Jersey Department Of Higher Education. Held at Rutgers.

1982-1986Asst. Prof. Of Music, Tufts University. Courses in jazz, graduate and undergraduate; direction of jazz, classical, and marching bands; advisor of an M.A. thesis.

July 1985 Tufts University, director of "Teaching Jazz: An Institute for Secondary School Teachers," funded by the Mass. Council On The Arts and Humanities.

Part-time teaching positions at Tufts University from 1977-1982 and at Brandeis University (concurrent with activities at Tufts) from 1980-1982.

PUBLICATIONS

NOTE: See additional review excerpts in the section REVIEWS

Theses:

John Coltrane's Music of 1960 Through 1967: Jazz Improvisation as Composition. Ph.D. thesis, Brandeis University, 1983. Directors: Joshua Rifkin, Brandeis, and Lawrence Gushee, U. of Illinois. 341 pages.

The Jazz Improvisations of Lester Young. M.A. thesis, Tufts University, 1979. Director: T.J. Anderson. 262 pages.

Books, Sole or Primary Author:

John Coltrane: His Life and Music. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, January 1998. New biographical and genealogical research. Musical analysis of improvisational techniques. Supported by a New Jersey Governor's Fellowship in the Humanities, and a Rutgers Research Council Grant. Winner of The ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections) 1999 Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research in its category "Recorded Jazz or Blues." Nominated for the Jazz Journalist Association Award. Gene Lees wrote that it is "the finest analysis of a jazz musician's art I have read"; Down Beat said it is [O]utstanding...rectifies errors and gaps of the previous Coltrane biographies." Jazz Times writes, "Porter has topped himself this time…[W]hat will he do for an encore?“ Jazzwise (London, March 2006) writes that it is "justifiably regarded as classic."

John Coltrane: His Life and Music. French edition of the above will be published in 2007 by Outres Mesure, Paris. I'm working with Parisian scholar Vincent Cotro, who is translating my book. (I have a good knowledge of French.)

John Coltrane: His Life and Music. Italian edition of the above will be published in 2007 by ------

Jazz: From Its Origins to the Present, by Porter and Ullman, with Ed Hazell. Englewood, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1992. History text, 600pp., with music examples, used at Columbia, Harvard, Brown, Wm. and Mary, Williams, U. of Oregon, Germany, Italy, elsewhere. According to Down Beat, the leading magazine in the field, "This is the one to buy."

Jazz: From Its Origins to the Present. French edition of the above will be published in 2007 by Outres Mesure, Paris.

Lester Young. Boston: Twayne Publishers (division of G.K. Hall/Macmillan), 1985. Also published in the U.K. by MacMillan, 1985. Analysis and research.

Lester Young. Revised Edition, Ann Arbor: U of Michigan Press, November 2005:

Jazzwise (London, March 2006) said that this revision "is a worthy restoration to the list of essential books about key jazz figures."

Book, Author and Editor

Jazz: A Century of Change. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997. My new essays on jazz historiography (30,000 words, over one-fourth of the book) illustrated with historical reprints (1919-1995, and 1856). MLA Notes, June 1999, wrote: "…a fine collection of interesting readings, with commentary by an intelligent, reasoned, and openminded guide."

Books, Editor

Editor and compiler/researcher, International Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians. Is currently being published as an online website, linked to the IJS website (will be completed during the summer of 2006).

WEBSITE:

In progress: TheJohn Coltrane Reference (N.Y.: Routledge, 2007), by Chris DeVito, Yasuhiro Fujioka, Wolf Schmaler, David Wild and

General Editor: Lewis Porter. This large (ca.800 page) book will represent the state of the art of Coltrane research as assembled by an international team of scholars, under my direction.

A Lester Young Reader, edited by L. Porter. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991. Anthology with some new material.

Journal, Coeditor with John Howland:

Jazz Perspectives. In 2005, I founded the first peer-reviewed journal devoted to jazz, and I asked John Howland to coedit with me. The publisher is Routledge (UK journals division). The editorial board is a "who's who" of jazz scholarship today, with faculty from Harvard, Yale, U of Chicago, U Penn, etc., as well as scholars in England, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. It will begin publishing two issues a year in Jan. 07. (This journal makes a fine complement to the Annual Review of Jazz Studies, issued by our own IJS.)

WEBSITE:

Book, Assisting Author and Editor:

John Coltrane: A Discography and Musical Biography, by Yasuhiro Fujioka with Lewis Porter and Yoh-Ichi Hamada; a reference book. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995. Part of the Institute of Jazz Studies Jazz Monograph Series. Foreword by Porter as well.

Chapters in Books and Reference Works:

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. New York: Gale Publications, December 2000. I compiled 1000 jazz entries (short biographies), incorporating extensive new research.

“John Coltrane,” in Jazz: A Reader’s Companion (Oxford U. Press, 2000)

"Lester Young," in The Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, edited by William

Ferris and Charles Wilson. Chapel Hill: U. of North Carolina Press, 1989.

In The Grove Dictionary of Jazz, edited by Barry Kernfeld (London: MacMillan, November 1988):

New articles:

"Saxophone"

"Oboe"

"Flute"

"Clarinet"

"Bassoon"

The following articles are revised versions of those in The Grove Dictionary of Music in the United States, 1986:

"Barney Bigard"

"Art Blakey"

"Jack DeJohnette"

"Dexter Gordon"

"Coleman Hawkins"

"Johnny Hodges"

"J.J. Johnson"

"Wes Montgomery"

"Tony Williams"

"Lester Young"

In The Book of Days 1987 (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Pierian Press, 1986), pp. 107-109: "Jazz." (An annotated list of resources for educators.)

In The Grove Dictionary of Music in the United States, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock (London: MacMillan, 1986):

"Barney Bigard" in 1: 213-214

"Art Blakey" in 1: 230

"Jack DeJohnette" in 1: 593

"Dexter Gordon" in 2: 246-247

"Coleman Hawkins" in 2: 351-353

"Johnny Hodges" in 2: 404

"J.J. Johnson" in 2: 582-583

"Wes Montgomery" in 3: 262-263

"Tony Williams" in 4: 533-534

"Lester Young" in 4: 581-583

In The New Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1983) 15: 13-19: "Jazz." (History, and stylistic discussion.)

Forewords to Books:

Foreword to Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's King of Swing, by Wayne Goins and

Craig McKinney, Mellen Press, fall 2005. I also fact-checked the book.

Foreword to Warne Marsh, by Safford Chamberlain. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow

Press, 2000. Part of the Institute of Jazz Studies Jazz Monograph Series.

I also edited this book.

Foreword to J.J. Johnson, by Joshua Berrett. Jazz Monograph

Series, Scarecrow Press, 1999. I also edited this book.

Foreword to Charlie Parker and Thematic Improvisation by Henry Martin. Jazz

Monograph Series, Scarecrow Press, 1996. I also edited this book.

Foreword to John Coltrane Plays Giant Steps, by David Demsey. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 1996.

Foreword to "A Herb Snitzer Portfolio," boxed limited edition, Boston: Palm Press,1996.

Foreword to You Got To Be Original, Man! by Frank Büchmann-Møller. Westport: Greenwood Press, March 1990. Reprinted in You Just Fight For Your Life by Frank Büchmann-Møller. Westport: Greenwood Press, March 1990. I

Also fact-checked both books.

Journal Articles (Refereed)

"The 'Blues Connotation' in Ornette Coleman's Music—And Some General

Thoughts on the Relation of Blues to Jazz," Annual Review of Jazz

Studies 7, 1996, 75-99.

"Louis Armstrong," co-authored with Michael Ullman, in Jazz Educators Journal, XXII/2 (Convention 1990), 36-38, 92-93.

"Jazz In American Education." College Music Symposium 29, 1989, 134-139. Reprinted, Crescendo International (London), August, September 1989.

"Some Problems In Jazz Research," in Black Music Research Journal 8/2(Fall 1988), 195-206. (Revised version of "Guidelines…" below.)

"The Long Song of Sidney Bechet," with Michael Ullman, in The Black

Perspective In Music, 16/2 (Fall 1988), 135-150.

"Guidelines For Jazz Research," in Bulletin of The Council For Research In

Music Education 95 (Winter 1987): 3-12.

"John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme': Jazz Improvisation as Composition," in Journal of The American Musicological Society 38/3 (1985): 593-621.

"The Early Style of Lester Young," in The Black Perspective In Music, 9/1,

(Spring 1981): 3-24. Reprinted in Bulletin of Hot Club of France (in

French), 2006.

"An Historical Survey of Jazz Drumming Styles," in Minority Voices, 3/1 (Spring 1980): 1-19.

Journal and Other Articles (Not Refereed)

"Charlie Parker on Film and Television," in Musica Oggi (in Italian), 2006

"Evidence: A recently discovered high-quality live recording featuring

Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane sheds new light on their brief

partnership." Feature article, Jazz Times magazine, October 2005, 34-39.

"John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme,'" in Unitarian Universalist World, a

magazine, October 2005.

"A Love Supreme," Down Beat, 2/98

"Giant Steps" (in Italian), Musica Oggi 17 (1997), pp.14-19.

"Lester Young," in Musica Jazz XLV/3 (March 1989), pp. XXXIV-XLII. In Italian. Style analysis, with examples, and biography; short section by Ullman.

"She Wiped All The Men Out: A Re-Evaluation of Women Instrumentalists and Composers In Jazz," in Music Educators Journal 71/1: 42-52, and

71/2: 42-51 (September and October 1984).

The above was nominated by the journal's editorial committee for a National Educational Press Association award as one of the best articles of 1984.

"An Historical Survey of Jazz Drumming Styles," in Percussive Notes 20/3: 42-43, 70-72, and 21/1: 46-47, 78 (June and October 1982). Revised version of Minority Voices article, with music examples.

Essays to Accompany Recordings:

Essay to the 6-CD set, John Coltrane: Fearless Leader (released Fall 2006)

Essay to the CD, SFJAZZ Tribute to John Coltrane, with Joshua Redman (released fall 2005)

Essay to the CD, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, 1957 (released September 2005)

Essay to the 4-CD set John Coltrane: Legacy, selected by his son Ravi. Verve/Impulse Records, published Oct. 2002.

Essay to Ascension by John Coltrane. Impulse records, 2000.

"John Coltrane: The Atlantic Years," pp. 5-29 in the book that accompanies John Coltrane: The Complete Atlantic Recordings, boxed set, Rhino Records, August 1995. Nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award.

Reprinted in Carl Woideck, ed., A John Coltrane Companion (Schirmer, 1999)

Essay to Michael Rabinowitz, Bassoon on Fire, Cats Paw Records, 1995

"Bloodlines and Beginnings: The Early Years," in the booklet that accompanies John Coltrane: The Last Giant, 1993.

Essay to Discovery: Monk and Coltrane at the Five Spot. Blue Note Records, 1993

"Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet in New York, 1923-1925," eight page essay, with music examples, to accompany LP reissue of the same name, Smithsonian R026. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1981.

Reprinted in Joshua Berrett, ed., A Louis Armstrong Companion (Schirmer, 1999). Reprinted in Bulletin of Hot Club of France (in French), 2006.

Recordings:

Piano and Composer: Lewis Porter Quintet. Second Voyage (Manno, Switzerland: Altrisuoni ASD 120, April 2002), featuring the renowned saxophonist David Liebman. Eight of the ten pieces are Porter's compositions. The CD is regularly featured on WBGO and WKCR and has received positive mentions. For example, in a review for the leading British magazine Jazzwise (July 2002), jazz scholar Brian Priestley wrote that Porter is "a fine pianist and bandleader... a strong ensemble player and versatile soloist." Recorded June 22, 2000, partly supported by a Rutgers Research Council Grant.

Drums: "Zahav," Jewish music band, recorded Feb. '91, privately issued cassette.

Saxophone: Matt Glaser: Play Fiddle Play, recorded April 1986 at Berklee College, Boston (Flying Fish Records 70555, 1990). Saxophone solo on “Foggy Mountain Special.”

Director: Brandeis Jazz Ensemble "Peripheral Road" (Azure Records, 1982).

Professional quality demo tape of original music, recorded at Rutgers-Newark Television and Radio Media Center, March and April 1987. On this recording I play saxophone, drums, piano, and sampling keyboard, through overdubbing.

Booklet:

Instructor's Manual for Jazz: From Its Origins to the Present, prepared camera-ready by Porter, with assistance from Ullman and Hazell, 1992. 96 pages.

Reprint:

The Glossary of my Prentice-Hall jazz history textbook was reprinted in Jazz For Teens, NJPAC Curriculum Guide, 2002-3.

CD-ROMs (not refereed):

Jazz: A Multimedia History. CD-ROM version of Jazz: From Its Origins to the Present, with addition of MIDI sound files, video clips and searchable index, all prepared by Porter. E-Book, Inc., 1992.

"Jazz," an article on jazz history in the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia, 1994 and 1996; revised 2000.

Music Commissions:

In 2002 I received commissions to compose music for the following groups:

Williams College (for the student ensembles)

William Paterson U (for the jazz majors' big band)

Brigham Young U (for the faculty jazz quintet)

Southern Conn. State U (for the Creative Music Orchestra)

Commissioned Report:

"The State of Jazz," a 108 page report commissioned by the National Endowment For The Arts, March, 1988. This report was the basis of the jazz section of the NEA report to Congress in Fall 1988.

Reviews of Books, Journals, and Theses:

In the International History Review (Canada):

Vol. XXVII, September 2006 issue. Review of McKay, George. Circular Breathing: The Cultural Politics of Jazz in Britain.

In Coda (Canada):

Issue 300/301 (Winter 2001-2), pp. 55-56. Review of American Pop From Minstrel to Mojo: On Record, 1893-1956, by Allen Lowe, and accompanying CDs.

In The Annual Review of Jazz Studies:

Vol. 7 (1996). Four Works by David Liebman

Vol. 7 (1996). Training the Ear for the Improvising Musician, by Armen Donelian

Vol. 6. Hal Leonard Artist Transcription Series

Vol. 5 (1991). Essay review of The Swing Era, by Gunther Schuller.

In Bulletin of The Council For Research In Music Education:

1993. Review of “Glenn Gould,” Ph. D. dissertation by Elizabeth Angilette (later published as a book)

No. 103 (Winter 1990): 89-92. Review of "The Early Years of Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington," Ph.D. dissertation by Mark Tucker.

In Piano and Keyboard:

1994. Review of The Duke Ellington Reader by Mark Tucker, Beyond Category by John Hasse, and Too Marvelous For Words by James Lester

In The Black Perspective In Music:

Vol. 6 (1978): 233-237. Jazz: A History, by Frank Tirro (Norton); Understanding Jazz,Leroy Ostransky (Prentice-Hall); Listening to Jazz, by Jerry Coker (Prentice-Hall); Jazz Styles, by Mark Gridley. Essay review.

Vol. 7 (1979): 121-123. Jazz in the Sixties by Michael J. Budds (University of Iowa Press); Jazz Music in Print, by John Voigt (Hornpipe Music); Introduction to Jazz Theory, by Kenneth Stanton (Crescendo).

Vol. 9 (1981): 101-104: The Making of Jazz, by James Lincoln Collier (Houghton Mifflin); A Jazz Nursery: The Story of the Jenkins Orphanage Bands, by John Chilton (London: Bloomsbury Book Shop); The World of Count

Basie, by Stanley Dance (Charles Scribner's Sons); The Record Collector's Handbook, by Alan Liebowitz (Everest House).

Vol. 11 (1983): 85-86. Jazzforschung/Jazz Research (overview of journal

volumes to date). Jazz research journal.

Vol. 14 (1986): 195-196. Annual Review of Jazz Studies (overview of journal volumes to date).

Vol. 14 (1986): 314-316. Tradition Afrikanischer Blasorchester und Entstehung des Jazz, by Alfons Dauer (Graz: Akademische Druck-u.Verlagsanstalt).

In American Record Guide:

Vol. 48/2 (1985): 86-87. Big Sounds from Small Peoples: The Music Industry in Small Countries, by Roger Wallis and Krister Malm (Pendragon Press).

In Popular Music :

Vol. 2 (1982): 296-300. Straight Life, by Art and Laurie Pepper (Schirmer);

Trane 'n Me, by Andrew White (Andrew's Music).

In Tufts Criterion (Tufts University):

March 1981: Jazz Lives, by Michael Ullman (New Republic Books).

Reviews of Music Recordings and Films

In this listing, the recordings that are reviewed are identified by artist and catalog number, not by album title. When two or more items are reviewed together they are separated by semi-colons.

In Jazz Times: Three DVD reviews, January 06 issue

In Signal to Noise, a "new music" magazine; four reviews in the Summer 2001 issue and one feature review in the Fall 2001 issue.

In Coda (Canada):

Issue 222 (October-November 1988): 32. Teddy Charles and Shorty Rogers (Original Jazz Classics 122); Kenny Dorham (Original Jazz Classics 113 and 134); Shelly Manne (OJC 172); Red Norvo (OJC 155).

In The Black Perspective In Music:

Vol. 7 (1979): 272-274. Art Ensemble of Chicago (Arista/Freedom 1903); Anthony Braxton (Delmark 415); Andrew Cyrille (IPS ST002); Joseph Jarman (Delmark 410); Roscoe Mitchell (Delmark 408).

Vol. 7 (1979): 274-275. Louis Armstrong (Time-Life J01); Duke Ellington (Time-Life J02); Billie Holiday (Time-Life J03); Bix Beiderbecke (T-L J04).

Vol. 7 (1979): 113-114. Ry Cooder (Warner Brothers).

Vol. 7 (1979): 114-115. David Amram (Flying Fish 057).

Vol. 7 (1979): 115-116. Air (Nessa 12).

Vol. 7 (1979): 116-117. Ben Webster (Nessa 8).

Vol. 8 (1980): 260-261. Sidney Bechet (T-L J09); Benny Carter (T-L J10).

Vol. 8 (1980): 261-262. Von Freeman (Nessa 11); Leo Smith (Nessa 19).

Vol. 8 (1980): 123-124. Art Blakey (Blue Note LA-473-J2); Jackie McLean (Blue Note LA-483-J2).

Vol. 8 (1980): 124-125. Coleman Hawkins (Time-Life J06); "Jelly Roll" Morton

(Time-Life J07).

Vol. 9 (1981): 236-237. Howard McGhee (Zim 2006); Nat Pierce (Zim 2003).

Vol. 9 (1981): 237-238. "Fats" Waller (Time-Life STL-J15); Henry "Red" Allen

(Time-Life STL-J16).

Vol. 9 (1981): 107-108. Lester Young (Time-Life STL-J13); Earl Hines

(Time-Life STL-J11).

Vol. 10 (1982): 124-126. James P. Johnson (Time-Life STL-J18); Johnny Hodges

(Time-Life STL-J19).

Vol. 11 (1983): 95-96. Teddy Wilson (Time-Life STL-J20).

Vol. 13 (1985): 238-239. Dizzy Gillespie (Fanfare 46-126); Coleman Hawkins (Fanfare 33-133).