Gene Porter was an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 saxophonist and clarinetist.

Porter began on cornet

Cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...

, but when his instrument was stolen he picked up saxophone and clarinet (studying the latter under Omer Simeon

Omer Simeon

Omer Victor Simeon was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet....

). He worked in and around New Orleans as well as on riverboats, with Papa Celestin

Papa Celestin

Oscar "Papa" Celestin was an American jazz bandleader, trumpeter, cornetist and vocalist.-Life and career:...

, Billy King

Billy King

Billy King is the general manager of the New Jersey Nets, and former general manager and team president of the Philadelphia 76ers. King grew up in Sterling, Virginia where he played basketball at Park View High School, and received a scholarship to play at Duke University. He was known primarily...

, Clarence Desdunes, Tab Smith

Tab Smith

Talmadge "Tab" Smith , was an American swing and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. He is best known for the tracks, "Because Of You" and "Pretend". He variously worked with Count Basie, the Mills Rhythm Boys and Lucky Millinder.-Biography:Smith was born in Kinston, North Carolina, United States...

, John Robichaux

John Robichaux

John Robichaux, sometimes Robechaux , was an American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist. He was the uncle of Joseph Robichaux....

 (1933), and Sidney Desvigne

Sidney Desvigne

Sidney Desvigne was an American jazz trumpeter.Desvigne played in a large number of noted 1910s and 1920s-era New Orleans Jazz ensembles, including Leonard Bechet's Silver Bell Band, the Maple Leaf Orchestra, the Excelsior Brass Band, and Ed Allen's Whispering Gold Band. He and Fate Marable often...

 (1935). He joined the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra

Jeter-Pillars Orchestra

Jeter-Pillars Orchestra was a jazz troupe led by altoist James Jeter and tenor-saxophonist Hayes Pillars.Jeter and Pillars were previously members of Alphonso Trent's big band. After that outfit split in 1933 they formed the group, which subsequently became the house band at the Club Plantation in St...

 from 1935 to 1937, then played with Don Redman

Don Redman

Donald Matthew Redman was an American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader and composer.Redman was announced as a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame on May 6, 2009....

 briefly that year before returning to Jeter-Pillars until 1942. Following this he worked with Jimmie Lunceford

Jimmie Lunceford

James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era.-Biography:...

 (1942), Fats Waller

Fats Waller

Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...

, and Benny Carter

Benny Carter

Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...

 (1942-44), working as assistant bandleader under Carter and appearing in several films. He joined the Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 in 1944-45, then played with Carter again and recorded with Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...

 (1945), Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...

 (1946), and Lloyd Glenn

Lloyd Glenn

Lloyd Glenn was an American R&B pianist, bandleader and arranger, who was a pioneer of the "West Coast" blues style.-Career:...

 (1947). After moving to San Diego in 1948, he played with Walter Fuller

Walter Fuller

Walter "Rosetta" Fuller was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is no relation to Gil Fuller, whose birth name is also Walter.-Biography:...

 (1948-60), then led his own ensemble at the Bronze Room in La Mesa, California

La Mesa, California

La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....

beginning in 1967.

Porter was named a member of the St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame in the 1980s.