Jake Porter

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jake Vernon Haven Porter (born August 3, 1916 in Oakland , California , † March 25, 1993 in Los Angeles ) was an American jazz trumpeter , songwriter and music producer .

biography

Porter first learned the violin at the age of seven and switched to the cornet at nine. His career began in the San Francisco Bay Area , where he played with Melvin Parks, Lionel Hampton and Saunders King between 1931 and 1939 , before moving to Los Angeles in 1940 . There he worked from 1940 with Cee Pee Johnson , Slam Stewart and Slim Gaillard ; during his military service in 1942/43 he played in a band at Camp Lockett near San Diego . After his discharge from the army he worked in the bands of Benny Carter , Fats Waller , Noble Sissle , Fletcher Henderson , Lionel Hampton (1945/46), Horace Henderson , Benny Goodman (briefly 1947) and with Mel Powell (1947). At the end of that year he led his own combo, with which he performed at the Down Beat Room Cafe in Los Angeles. In 1949 he also directed an ensemble consisting of female musicians only, with whom he toured the southern United States in 1949 . In 1950 he had an engagement in the Norbo Grill .

In 1951 Porter founded the label Combo Records , which was active until 1961 and mainly released rhythm and blues , doo-wop and some jazz recordings, including Ernie Fields , Peppermint Harris , Chuck Higgins , Smokey Hogg , Joe Houston, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, Betty Hall Jones , Jack McVea and Johnny Guitar Watson . Most of the material was created in Porter's basement apartment; in addition, he worked as a songwriter for some of these recordings. As a band leader, he went on touring in the 1950s; in the 1960s he was employed as a freelance musician in California. In 1964 he worked with Mike Porter in Canada . In his later years he was less active as a musician, but remained in the music business, so he worked in the musicians' union in the 1970s. In 1976 he worked on recordings of Big Joe Turner ( The Midnight Special ) with; In 1978 he went on a European tour again and was still active as a musician in the 80s.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Porter, Jake
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Porter, Jake Vernon Haven (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz trumpeter, songwriter, and music producer
DATE OF BIRTH August 3, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Oakland
DATE OF DEATH March 25, 1993
Place of death los Angeles