Ryan Porter

Career

Between 2008 and 2009, Porter and his West Coast Get Down bandmates held a series of recording sessions in Kamasi Washington's parents' garage, which they called "the Shack." These sessions were cramped, overheated, and frequently interrupted by planes at the nearby Los Angeles International Airport landing strip. The recordings were released a decade later on Porter's album The Optimist (2018), whose title was inspired by Porter's optimism for the newly elected president Barack Obama at the time of recording. The album was released on World Galaxy and Alpha Pup Records. Porter led a portion of these sessions, yielding the tracks on his debut album Spangle-Lang Lane (2017), a collection of reimagined children's songs reimagined in a soulful jazz and hip hop style. With the album, he released a series of videos depicting puppet versions of the West Coast Get Down and other jazz musicians.

In June 2019, Porter released his third album Force for Good, which was recorded over the course of five years and also features Kamasi Washington.

Death Porter was injured in a traffic collision in late April 2026. He died from complications of the injuries he sustained on May 16, at the age of 46.

Discography Adapted from AllMusic.

Studio albums Spangle-Lang Lane (2017) The Optimist (2018) Force for Good (2019) Resilience (2022)

Live albums Ryan Porter (2020)

With Kamasi Washington The Epic (2015) Harmony of Difference (2017) Heaven and Earth (2018) Becoming (2020) Fearless Movement (2024)