Review: George Porter Jr. ‘Porter’s Pocket’

Review: George Porter Jr. ‘Porter’s Pocket’

By Hal Horowitz

The title of this album from legendary New Orleans’ bassist Porter doesn’t say it all but it says a lot. He is co-founder of The Meters and winner of a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with them. He is usually mentioned on any list of great American bass players.

Playing in “the pocket” is a musician’s term for when all the elements in a band click, generally yielding something bigger and better than the sum of its parts. The expression is often used in jazz and funk, the music Porter is most closely aligned with, but can be applied to any genre. The Allman Brothers Band famously called the concept “hitting the note,” describing how those members gelled into one thunderous unit.

Veteran musician Porter, now pushing 80, is no stranger to playing in the pocket. He proves that with these ten cooking instrumentals backed by The Runnin’ Pardners, his longtime outfit. There aren’t many bassists releasing albums without vocals, either theirs or someone else’s, especially ones that don’t feature bass solos. But it shows Porter’s communal personality which attracted superstars like Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffet, and David Byrne among many others to his talents, and that he’s comfortable recording music focused on other’s (keyboards and guitar) contributions, often over his own.

The opening “Tito’s Dumpling Machine,” kicks off with drummer Terrence Houston’s syncopated work setting up the groove. Guitar and organ soon join with Porter’s rubbery bottom and they’re off for four and half minutes of locked down musical connection that’ll put a grin on any Meters’ fan’s face. Anyone unclear of what a “pocket” is will instantly understand.

More of the same follows, with the disc’s first half featuring food-centric titles. From the reggae lilt of “Sauce on the Side” with guitarist Chris Adkins’ sitar-inflected guitar, to the organ churning “Buttermilk” and the freewheeling Joe Sample-styled piano/guitar tension of “Proteins & Carbohydrates,” these guys connect with nonchalant comfort. They percolate like a Waffle House coffee pot on a winter’s morning for “Gangs in Alamosa” with organ and guitar swapping short, taut leads. Porter holds down the low-end without fanfare but with the genial, easygoing personality he exudes on and off stage.

This music is birthed from the backstreets and alleys of New Orleans. With the boiling rhythms that jolt “Don Julio Rides Again” you’ll hear echoes of the late Art Neville’s keyboards and original Meters’ guitarist Leo Nocentelli, whose staccato picking defined the genre.

Those looking for a more laid-back vibe can unwind to the closing “Latenighter.” Here Adkins’ reverbed lines take us down the dimly lit, somewhat foreboding side streets on a creeping but dramatic five minute stroll pulsing with the uneasiness and queasy sense of danger which also defines the Crescent City after hours.

Regardless of his age, Porter steers this ship with youthful vitality and an aged journeyman’s approach. He knows how to massage the music, and understands it takes a unique aggregation to do it with soul and emotion. Other younger musicians such as the members of The New Mastersounds have been influenced by his playing.

But there is little better than hearing it from the master, supporting a great band, and nailing that sometimes elusive pocket with class and a professionalism that can’t be generated by overdubbing, Pro-Tools or AI.

“Tito’s Dumpling Machine”