In the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of Florence and Normandie in South Central Los Angeles, a musical revolution was born. It was here that Ryan Porter, a cornerstone of the modern Los Angeles jazz renaissance and a founding member of the West Coast Get Down, first found his voice. Porter died on May 16, 2026, at the age of 46, leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in the community that raised him. South Central served as the fertile ground for Porter's musical innovation, a journey fueled by the extensive record collection of his grandfather, an auto mechanic who introduced him to the genre. Porter's path was set when he saw the cover of the J.J. Johnson album Proof Positive. The image captivated him, leading him to choose the trombone as his primary instrument. This early exposure to the jazz tradition within his own home provided the foundation for a career that would eventually redefine the sound of the West Coast.

Porter's formal education took place in the heart of the community. He studied under Reggie Andrews in the Multi-School Jazz Band in Watts, a program that acted as a crucible for a generation of talent. It was in this environment that he began collaborating with future jazz luminaries such as Kamasi Washington and Thundercat. Porter often noted that the community of teachers in Los Angeles instilled a specific philosophy in their students: not to make it just jazz. This open-minded approach to genre would become a hallmark of his later work, allowing him to blend the technical rigors of bebop with the rhythmic vitality of hip-hop and soul. In 1996, he participated in the inaugural Vail Jazz Workshop, where he was mentored by trumpeter Roy Hargrove. He later moved to New York to attend the Manhattan School of Music from 1997 to 2001, studying under trombonists Steve Turre and David Taylor, further refining the 'thick, rich' tone that would become his signature. Voyage LA

The true spirit of Porter's contribution to the Los Angeles scene was captured during the Shack sessions. Recorded between 2008 and 2009 in the garage of Kamasi Washington's parents, these sessions represented a pivotal moment for the West Coast Get Down. Though the material was released much later as the album The Optimist, Porter recalled that there was something about the energy and the optimism of that time, describing the recording as very, very honest. These sessions were not just rehearsals; they were the birth of a movement that would eventually gain global recognition, proving that world-class art could be created in a suburban garage through collective dedication and friendship. DownBeat

Porter's technical mastery was a defining feature of these recordings and his subsequent work. Kamasi Washington, a lifelong collaborator, described Porter as his favorite musician to play a melody with. Washington noted that Porter possessed one of the thickest, richest tones he had ever heard, a sound so dense it was actually difficult to capture on a microphone. This sonic depth allowed Porter to move seamlessly between the jazz world and the broader music industry. He embarked on his first major professional tour with Snoop Dogg on the Rock the Mic tour and spent years as a member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, where he honed his skills in a large-ensemble setting. He also became a familiar presence on national television, performing in the house bands for American Idol and The Voice, bringing the soulful sound of South Central to millions of viewers.

Despite his commercial success, Porter remained anchored in the experimental jazz community. He played a key role in the recording of Kamasi Washington's landmark triple album The Epic and contributed to Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize-winning album To Pimp a Butterfly. These projects cemented his legacy as a vital architect of the modern Los Angeles sound. His solo work further demonstrated his range, including Spangle-Lang Lane, which reimagined children's songs as soulful jazz standards, and the 2019 album Force for Good, which featured his West Coast Get Down peers. Porter's ambition was always to push the music forward, once stating he wanted to create arrangements that would make John Coltrane want to play ten or eleven choruses. He viewed the trombone not just as an instrument, but as a vehicle for spiritual and community expression.

The trajectory of Porter's career was marked by a profound commitment to sharing his journey with others. In 2024, the documentary Resilience: The Story of Ryan Porter premiered at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles, offering an intimate look at the man behind the music. Filmmaker Marquell Byrd expressed gratitude that Porter trusted him to tell this story on film. The documentary highlighted the depth of Porter's experiences, adding a poignant layer to his subsequent efforts to give back to his community and inspire those following in his footsteps. Music Connection Magazine

Porter turned his experiences into a mission of service, teaching jazz to at-risk youth at the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center in South Los Angeles. He found deep meaning in this work, noting that he was the beneficiary of someone who had done the same for him. He described the joy of seeing himself in his students as they learned to play their instruments, passing on the 'not just jazz' philosophy he had learned decades earlier. This commitment to the next generation ensured that the musical innovation of South Central would continue long after him, as he mentored students with the same patience and passion his own teachers had shown him. DownBeat

Ryan Porter was more than a technician; he was a soulful and resilient presence who embodied the title of his own work as a force for good. He will be remembered as a musician who bridged the gap between the garage sessions of his youth and the highest stages of the recording industry, never losing sight of the neighborhood that raised him. His legacy lives on in the thick, rich notes of his trombone and the students he inspired to find their own voices in the music. He remains a symbol of the enduring power of the Los Angeles jazz tradition and the community bonds that sustain it.