"No single musician better represents that contribution and its nearly forgotten history than pianist Sidney Porter. From 1941 until his untimely death in 1970, he cast a 6'8" shadow over Portland's jazz scene as both a performer and nightclub owner. Two months after he died, more than 3,000 people filled the Hoyt Hotel in a 10-hour show of respect that included 20 bands and more than 160 musicians."
"At that time, Sidney Porter was the city's most well-known jazz artist. It took years of hard work and dedication to his craft to get there, a process chronicled in detail in the recent two-CD package of his only recorded work with an accompanying 140-page book by piano player and historian Joe Nadal. Sidney Porter, Portland Jazz Legend: A Historical Account brings together just about all the information about Porter there is, including interviews with the few folks remaining who knew him."
Portland's Black community comprises about 6.5% of the city's population, yet its cultural influence—especially in music—has been transformative. Pianist Sidney Porter dominated Portland's jazz scene from 1941 until his death in 1970, standing 6'8" as both a performer and nightclub owner. Two months after his death more than 3,000 people attended a 10-hour memorial at the Hoyt Hotel featuring 20 bands and over 160 musicians, with Governor Tom McCall present and funds raised for his daughters. Porter ran the Chicken Coop on NE 24th and Sandy Blvd. for 18 years beginning at age 21, leading jam sessions and managing the venue. A single set of live nightclub recordings survives; the remastered tracks and historical context show his significant accomplishments.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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