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In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Ryan Porter
(Photo: Courtesy of the artist)Trombonist and educator Ryan Porter, a prominent figure on the Los Angeles jazz scene, died May 16 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on April 28, according to Tony Austin, his bandmate in the jazz collective West Coast Get Down. He was 46. In addition to his own projects as a leader and coleader, Porter was celebrated for his contributions to landmark albums like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and Kamasi Washington’s The Epic.
The biographical film Resilience: The Story of Ryan Porter (The Variety Group) portrays Porter as a generationally successful artist, particularly in 2022, when he found himself performing at the highest of high-profile shows, from the talk shows of Jimmys Fallon and Kimmel, to the Oscars and Grammys, to backing up Eminem, Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre at the Super Bowl halftime show held that year in Inglewood, California, mere miles from where he grew up. The film also points to the challenges Porter faced, including a life-altering illness and being homeless, inconceivably at the very same time his career was at an all-time high.
During an interview with writer Gary Fukushima that ran in the November 2024 issue of DownBeat, Porter discussed those who helped him and his friends along the way: his trombone teacher, George Bohannon; his high school teacher, Fernando Pullum; and the most important mentor in his life, Reggie Andrews (whose enduring comments before his death nearly four years ago are memorialized in the documentary). “That’s kind of what this is,” Porter said, “knowing what that looks like when that happens. Thundercat is what that looks like, Kamasi [Washington] is what that looks like — they’ve had that community, that village. I just want to kind of give those people their roses, that hopefully inspires people to give back in the ways that they can. Truly that’s what I feel is the message of this documentary.”
There are many poignant moments in the film, as when Porter talks about moving to New York to attend Manhattan School of Music, how he struggled to survive compared to the other students there who hailed from more advantageous socioeconomic backgrounds. But there were brighter moments — Porter recounted to DownBeat that he spent time in New York with two of his heroes, J.J. Johnson (“he was my Michael Jordan”) and Roy Hargrove. Porter remembers going to Johnson’s house, where the master trombonist told him he gleaned his melodic approach from transcribing a lot of Lester Young.
Porter’s last album, the soundtrack to Resilience, is bookended with his first, The Optimist, released in 2018 but recorded a decade earlier. DB
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New Orleans-based trombonist and singer Ronell Johnson, who also played tuba and sousaphone, died June 14 at age 49, after suffering a heart attack in April. A longtime member of the Preservation Hall family of musicians, he performed at Preservation Hall several times each week and toured with both the Preservation Hall Band and Preservation Brass. Along with his brother Steven, Johnson was also the co-founder of The Coolbone Brass Band.
Born in Marrero, Louisiana, Johnson was the youngest of four boys, all musicians. A graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, he went on to earn a B.A. in music from Southern University at New Orleans. Starting in his early teens, he was influenced by trad-jazz stars like trumpeter Al Hirt, clarinetist Dr. Michale White, cornetist Greg Stafford and guitarist/banjoist Danny Barker. Johnson was a contemporary of trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, his classmate at NOCCA.
“Ronell Johnson was a beacon,” reads a post announcing Johnson’s passing on Preservation Hall’s social media. “His love for music and community reverberated everywhere he went. His presence was larger than life, uplifting everyone who had the honor of crossing paths with him. Whether on stage, in the Hall, or in a passing conversation, his joy, kindness, and generosity left a lasting impact that we will carry with us always.” DB
Correction: An earlier version of this story included a photo that was not Ryan Porter. DownBeat regrets the error.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
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