Ryan Porter obit

Ryan Porter, Lauded Jazz Trombonist & Kamasi Washington Collaborator, Dies At 46 [Obituary]

 He was not on the list.

Ryan “Papa” Porter, the co-founding member of Los Angeles jazz collective West Coast Get Down known for his trombone work with Kamasi Washington, has died at age 46 from injuries sustained in a late-April automobile accident.

As West Coast Get Down drummer and recording engineer Tony Austin wrote in a social media post on Sunday, “It is with profound sorrow to announce that Ryan Keith Porter has passed. On Tuesday evening, April 28th, Ryan was involved in a severe car accident that resulted in life altering injuries. Despite the best medical care, his condition deteriorated. On May 16th Ryan took his last breath, peacefully surrounded by his loved ones.”

“Ryan was like a brother to me,” added Austin, who grew up alongside Porter in Los Angeles County. “We have been in each other’s lives since we were kids. Ryan’s love for music and his overall compassion for humanity was infectious and truly inspiring. He enriched my life in a way that I will carry with me forever. I can imagine that holds true for many of his friends, loved ones, and family. My heart is gutted, but I am thankful that his soul can now rest in peace in the heavens above.”

While attending high school in Los Angeles County, Porter was a member of the Multi-School Jazz Band under celebrated music educator Reggie Andrews. As a part of that ensemble, he was introduced to a new guard of L.A. musicians intent on revitalizing jazz for a new generation.

Those intentions quickly moved toward fruition. Porter would go on to form the West Coast Get Down in 2006 alongside his Multi-School bandmates Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, and Ronald Bruner Jr. and fellow young L.A. County talents Tony Austin, Cameron Graves, Brandon Coleman, Miles Mosley, and Patrice Quinn. The collective recorded and performed together extensively around L.A. for years, building up a vast body of material. While they never released an official record under the West Coast Get Down moniker, their collaborative work helped launch the acclaimed solo careers of several of its now-famous members, prompting many to hail the group as the “Wu-Tang Clan of jazz.”

Ryan Porter and several other West Coast Get Down members eventually became widely known as the core Kamasi Washington’s band, contributing to each of the saxophonist’s acclaimed albums and touring the globe as leaders of jazz’s L.A.-based new guard.

“There’s something magical about the way Ryan and Kamasi play a line together,” West Coast Get Down bassist Miles Mosley explained in a 2019 Bandcamp interview. “Kamasi leans forward and Ryan leans back in this perfect amount so that the two of them sound like there are four of them. Those two, their minds are so well melded.”

In parallel, Ryan Porter released a string of projects under his own name between 2017 and 2022, often pulling from years’ worth of recording sessions with Washington and the rest of West Coast Get Down. “Ryan’s music seeks to bring out the brightness in life,” Mosley added of Porter’s solo work in the 2019 Bandcamp feature. “It’s pleasant, sultry. I’ve never heard anybody write instrumental music like that before. Ryan Porter writes luxurious music. It makes you feel better about your day.”

In 2019, Ryan Porter toured Europe as a headlining act for the first time, with various members of the Get Down roster serving as his backing band. Their October 17th, 2019 performance in Paris, France was recorded and released as Porter’s first official live album, Ryan Porter (Live at New Morning, Paris).

While he was rooted in the jazz world, Porter’s creative interests often bled into other musical realms. His resume included touring and recording work with Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and more, plus stints in the house bands for TV programs like American Idol and The Voice.

“Growing up in South Central, I never wanted to be anything but a jazz musician,” Porter explained in the 2019 Bandcamp feature. “But there was never a time when I wanted to only play jazz. It was always important to me to be as versatile as possible.”

Porter’s journey through life and music was documented in the Marquell Byrd-directed 2024 documentary Resilience: The Life of Ryan Porter.

“I love you Ryan Porter, I miss you, and you will always have a space in my heart and soul,” Kamasi Washington wrote on Sunday in a social media post marking Porter’s passing. “I will cherish the many years we had together, I thought we would have more, but I am thankful for what we had. You have been my friend for most of my life. I’ve looked up to you since I was 11 years old. We learned from each other, we supported each other, we created beautiful music together and shared it with people all over the world. You are one of the most amazing human beings that has walked this earth, and I feel truly blessed that god put you in my life.

“Thank you for being my friend my brother Ryan,” Washington added. “Your time on this Earth was tragically cut short by a horrible car accident but the light of your spirit will be carried on by all of us who love you. You would always tell me that you wanted more than anything else to be a FORCE FOR GOOD and you did it, you are the complete embodiment of that. You did so much good Ryan, your life made this world better. I love you Ryan you will be missed but never forgotten and your tribe will look after your family so Rest Well In The Arms of God, Soul Brother Number One.”

Porter is survived by his two daughters.

Below, view a collection of heartfelt remembrances of the late Ryan Porter by his musical peers from the West Coast Get Down and beyond.

Rest in peace, Ryan Porter.