Have You Met Rutgers-Newark?

Dr. Lewis Porter doesn’t just teach about jazz; he performs it, writes about it, discusses it on radio and in newspapers, and basically lives it.

A noted jazz scholar, Porter is a professor of music and founder and director of Rutgers-Newark’s Master’s in Jazz History and Research. A self-described “street musician with a Ph.D.,” Porter became a jazz teacher and researcher almost by accident; his interest in jazz history was fueled by his penchant to collect jazz-related materials and “study things for myself.”

The street musician with a Ph.D. is the author of several jazz books, including an award-winning biography of John Coltrane, as well as numerous jazz articles. Porter received a Grammy nomination for his research assistance in producing a set of Coltrane’s Atlantic Recordings. Currently he is working on a John Coltrane reference book with four other researchers.

Because of his combined academic background and performing experience, Porter is a popular guest on jazz radio programs and has been a consultant for books, films, and jazz recordings. He also regularly performs – including frequent campus appearances – as a piano soloist and in jazz ensembles. His latest CD recording is “Second Voyage.”

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