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 1-25 of 33 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia CCO5170 10-in. 6/15/1950 Blow, Mr. Low-Blow Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5171 10-in. 6/15/1950 Sharecropper boogie Miss Sharecropper ; Red Saunders Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5172 10-in. 6/15/1950 Chi (Chicago) Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5173 10-in. 6/15/1950 Lyin' girl blues Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5251 10-in. 4/20/1951 Stop, pretty baby, stop Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5252 10-in. 6/15/1950 Mistreatin' woman blues Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5253 10-in. 6/15/1950 Week day blues Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5254 10-in. 4/20/1951 4 a.m. Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5278 10-in. 8/24/1951 Last night's party Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5279 10-in. 8/24/1951 Hey bartender Red Saunders Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5280 10-in. 8/24/1951 Boot 'em up Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5281 10-in. 8/24/1951 Sugar bounce Red Saunders Orchestra ; Joe Williams Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5284 10-in. 8/25/1951 It's just what you think Ray Orlando ; Red Saunders Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Columbia CCO5285 10-in. 8/25/1951 Lonely Ray Orlando ; Red Saunders Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 73335 1/31/1946 Baby that'll be the day Roy Eldridge Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 73336 1/31/1946 All the cats join in Roy Eldridge Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 73337 1/31/1946 Poor John Roy Eldridge Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 73338 1/31/1946 Ain't that a shame Roy Eldridge Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 81695 10/9/1951 Cold, cold heart Horace Henderson Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 81696 10/9/1951 I can't help it Horace Henderson Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 81697 10/9/1951 I ain't in the mood Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 81698 10/9/1951 Cry Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82244 2/3/1952 Honest and truly Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82245 2/3/1952 I found a new love Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 82635 4/4/1952 Kiss me baby Donna Hightower instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
(Results 1-25 of 33 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kilbert, Porter," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/325228.

Kilbert, Porter. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/325228.

"Kilbert, Porter." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.