Jennifer Porter is Making a Scene

February 17, 2024

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Making a Scene Presents interview with Jennifer Porter

Jennifer Porter is an award-winning singer, actor and screenwriter. A musician’s musician blessed with a beautiful voice, Jennifer has performed a repertoire that spans from Jazz and Blues to Country and Opera. She has sung with Classical and Jazz Orchestras, including the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Though trained as an opera singer and classical pianist, she considers herself a Roots Musician at heart, as she began playing piano at age five after sneaking out of bed to watch a boogie-woogie piano-player named Maxine perform at one of her grand-parents notorious cocktail parties. Jennifer is still most at home sitting at the piano and singing while banging out an old Blues tune in a red-hot 88 style.

Jennifer has recorded eight albums to date, releasing her newest, Sun Come And Shine, recorded with legendary drummer and music director Bernard Purdie in 2021. Jennifer was joined on this sensational project by Grammy winners Christian McBride and Cindy Cashdollar and Grammy nominees Rob Paparozzi and C.J. Chenier. Also contributing to the project were bassist Wilbur Bascombe, guitarist George Naha and Steve Jankowski and Tom Timko on horns. The title track from Sun Come And Shine received a 2021 We Are The Music Makers award for Best Roots/Americana/Blues song. In this same competition, Jennifer was also nominated for best Soul Song, Best Adult Contemporary Song, and Best Female Artist. Sun Come And Shine hit #1 on The Roots Music Reports Jazzy Blues Album Charts with seven songs from the album reaching the top ten on their Jazzy Blues Song Charts. Four songs from the album also reached the top 10 on Portugal’s Blues Radio Charts, with Portugal’s Smooth FM naming it Album Of The Week.

Jennifer’s previous album, These Years, which received international critical-acclaim, was recorded with Grammy-winning producer Jay Newland and included special guests C.J. Chenier and Country Music Hall Of Famer, Charlie McCoy. These Years earned Jennifer a 2020 We Are The Music Makers award for Best Roots/Americana/Blues Album and a 2019 Independent Music Network award for Best Female Crossover Artist. She was also nominated for four other Independent Music Network awards including Favorite Country Female Artist, and Favorite Female Mainstream Artist. Her song from These Years, “Road To Redemption”, hit #1 on National Indie Radio and the Independent Music Network’s, New Music Weekly’s, and National Radio Hits’ Country Charts. The title track from These Years hit #2 On the Independent Music Network’s Mainstream Charts.

Jennifer’s jazz album Easy Living (2014), with Grammy-winning producer, Lawrence Manchester, was nominated for a 2015 Independent Music Award in the Jazz With Vocals category, and was heard on radio stations around the country, including KJAZZ in Los Angeles, WWOZ in New Orleans, and Public Radio International’s Jazz After Hours.

Jennifer is also an esteemed actor, with more than 85 professional stage credits, including Patsy Cline in Always…Patsy Cline. She starred in, and composed and performed the film score for BALLAD OF IDA AND DOOB (1999) and wrote, starred in, and composed and performed the film scores for the critically acclaimed MR. BARRINGTON (2003), and the multiple award-winning 40 WEST (2011) for which Jennifer received awards for acting, original score, original song, and original screenplay.

Jennifer holds a second-degree black belt in Tai Jujitsu, and has advanced training in Kali and Jeet Kun Do. In 1989 Jennifer was the first vocalist in Maine inducted into the prestigious musical honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda, which recognizes excellence in both musical performance and academics. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, and learning new languages.

Jennifer is also a proud member of SAG/AFTRA, and Actor’s Equity Association.

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