Willy Porter is a contemporary American folk musician and singer-songwriter from Mequon, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and was a member of the Epsilon Chi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, a men's fraternity.[1]
[edit] Career
Porter's career as a published singer began in 1990 with his album The Trees Have Soul with Paul Perrone. It was produced by Willy Porter, Paul Perrone & Randy Green. Much of this album was developed playing a regular Sunday night gig at the "Club de Wash" in Madison, Wisconsin. His popularity began to rise in 1994 with the release of his critically acclaimed album Dog-Eared Dream, which had the successful single Angry Words, and led to his touring as an opening act for artists including Jeff Beck, Tori Amos, Paul Simon, and The Cranberries. Porter later opened for Jethro Tull, where he formed a long lasting friendship with Tull's guitarist, Martin Barre.
[edit] Reception
Porter is an accomplished finger-style guitarist though he has focused more on ensemble free-form jam playing since the mid 1990s. His work has garnered widely positive reviews. The Washington Post wrote that "Porter is a dazzling acoustic guitarist with a moody baritone." The Village Voice said "Porter captures the street corner ethic of acoustic performance perfectly." The Boston Globe reported that Porter is a guitarist who possesses "the Olympian speed of Leo Kottke bolstered by rootsy vocals and twisting, offbeat lyrics."[2]
[edit] Discography
- Leaving Tomah Home — 1988 (cassette-only)
- The Trees Have Soul — 1990
- Dog-Eared Dream — 1994 (reissued in alternate form 1995)
- Falling Forward — 1999
- Willy Porter — 2002
- High Wire Live — 2003
- Available Light — 2006
- How To Rob A Bank — 2009
- Live at BoMA w/ Carpe Diem String Quartet — 2010
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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