Ryan Porter has made a name and a living as a collaborator of the influential L.A. jazz crew the West Coast Get Down (whose work forms the backbone of albums by the likes of Kamasi Washington, Miles Mosley and Ronald Bruner Jr.). For his latest project, however, Porter is targeting a different, younger audience.
The musician will release a children's album titled Spangle-Lang Lane next month, delivering fresh takes on classic nursery rhymes. Amongst the contributors that appear on the updated renditions of kid classics are Washington, Mosley and Bruner Jr., as well as Adam Turchin, Cameron Graves, Taylor Graves, Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin, Patrice Quinn, Chris Gray, James Ford, Justin Sky, Robert Miller, Noland Bryant and the late Zane Musa.
Naturally, Porter drew on a lot of his own childhood experiences for the album.
"One thing I really wanted to tap into was the magical feelings that I experienced as a child from different TV shows, movies, and recordings that inspired a life changing surge of creativity and imagination in my very own life," he said in a statement. "As a result of revisiting these warm and happy childhood memories, I had to mentally go back to the '80s and think of Saturday mornings at my mom's house. I would be on the couch in front of the TV with a massive bowl of Captain Crunch, watching The A-Team, Knight Rider, and reruns of Annie and Willie Wonka."
In addition to the music, Porter has created an accompanying video series that will depict puppet versions of Duke Ellington, Kamasi Washington, Louis Armstrong, Brandon Coleman, Tony Williams, Terrace Martin, Miles Davis, Thundercat and John Coltrane.
For now, though, you can get an idea of what Spangle-Lang Lane sounds like by listening to the premiere of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" down below. Frankly, it's never sounded so cool.
Spangle-Lang Lane is out September 22 via Alpha Pup Records. Pre-order the album here.
The musician will release a children's album titled Spangle-Lang Lane next month, delivering fresh takes on classic nursery rhymes. Amongst the contributors that appear on the updated renditions of kid classics are Washington, Mosley and Bruner Jr., as well as Adam Turchin, Cameron Graves, Taylor Graves, Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin, Patrice Quinn, Chris Gray, James Ford, Justin Sky, Robert Miller, Noland Bryant and the late Zane Musa.
Naturally, Porter drew on a lot of his own childhood experiences for the album.
"One thing I really wanted to tap into was the magical feelings that I experienced as a child from different TV shows, movies, and recordings that inspired a life changing surge of creativity and imagination in my very own life," he said in a statement. "As a result of revisiting these warm and happy childhood memories, I had to mentally go back to the '80s and think of Saturday mornings at my mom's house. I would be on the couch in front of the TV with a massive bowl of Captain Crunch, watching The A-Team, Knight Rider, and reruns of Annie and Willie Wonka."
In addition to the music, Porter has created an accompanying video series that will depict puppet versions of Duke Ellington, Kamasi Washington, Louis Armstrong, Brandon Coleman, Tony Williams, Terrace Martin, Miles Davis, Thundercat and John Coltrane.
For now, though, you can get an idea of what Spangle-Lang Lane sounds like by listening to the premiere of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" down below. Frankly, it's never sounded so cool.
Spangle-Lang Lane is out September 22 via Alpha Pup Records. Pre-order the album here.