BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — A bassist who took the sounds of New Orleans’ storied music scene and helped created a new sound in the process will be coming to Birmingham next month.
George Porter Jr., whose early work with the Meters formed what would become known as funk, will bring his band, the Runnin’ Pardners, to the Woodlawn Theatre on Oct. 26.
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Porter Jr.’s contributions to the Meters often featured warm, fat basslines that could range from long to choppy and staccato, playing off the syncopated rhythm of original Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste. Porter Jr. first formed the band in 1965 and played with them off and on for decades, receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and being nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame four times.
In addition to his work with the Meters, Porter Jr. has also contributed to tracks by Patti LaBelle, Solomon Burke, Tori Amos, Taj Mahal and others and has shared the stage with bands like Phish, Dead and Company and Widespread Panic.