Porter Kilbert

Porter Kilbert (June 10, 1921 – October 23, 1960) was a jazz alto and tenor saxophonist.

In September 1942, he replaced Preston Love as lead alto saxophonist in Nat Towles' band, before going on to spend two years with Benny Carter's band, playing in line-ups including Willard Brown, Curly Russell, Max Roach, Oscar Bradley, Ulysses Livingston, Sonny White, Teddy Brannon, Bumps Myers, Gene Porter, Alton Moore, J.J. Johnson, Shorty Haughton, Claude Dunson, Snooky Young, Freddie Webster, Gerald Wilson, and Jake Porter.

After a brief spell with Roy Eldridge's band, he joined Red Saunders' band in New York in September 1946. The band later took up residency at Chicago's Club DeLisa, and Kilbert would remain with the Saunders band until January 1952, when he left to form his own band.

In December 1946, he was in a line-up led by Coleman Hawkins, recording for Prestige, with Fats Navarro, Milt Jackson, JJ Johnson, Hank Jones, Curley Russell and Max Roach.

In 1947, he led an orchestra backing Clarence Samuels recording for Aristocrat.

In 1954, he was a member of the Horace Henderson big band and in 1955 and 1956, he participated in a series of "battles of the saxes" with Tom Archia at the C&C Lounge.

In 1960, having recorded the previous year for bandleader Quincy Jones, featuring as soloist on some of the tracks, he toured Europe with Jones' big band (with fellow altoist Phil Woods).

Birth and Death Data: Born Baton Rouge (capital city of Louisiana, United States, and seat of East Baton Rouge Parish), Died October 23, 1960 (Chicago (city and county seat of Cook County, and largest city in State of Illinois, United States of America) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1946 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: alto saxophone

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-33 of 33 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 82636 4/4/1952 You had better change your ways Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82637 4/4/1952 Don't you think I ought to know Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82638 4/4/1952 The face in the mirror Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82639 4/4/1952 Farewell blues Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82640 4/2/1952 Don't cry baby Floyd Smith instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82641 4/2/1952 After hours Floyd Smith instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82642 4/2/1952 Me and you Floyd Smith instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82643 4/2/1952 You may be trash to someone Floyd Smith instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
(Results 26-33 of 33 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kilbert, Porter," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/325228.

Kilbert, Porter. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/325228.

"Kilbert, Porter." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/325228

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