Upcoming Album / Tour
Sci-Fi Standards, Vol. 1: The Future We Knew
This summer, Charlie Porter releases Sci-Fi Standards, Vol. 1: The Future We Knew — a bold reimagining of iconic science-fiction film themes transformed into expansive, improvisational jazz works.
Drawing from the shared cinematic language of Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Alien, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dune, The Terminator, Total Recall, Tron, and Minority Report, the project revisits the futures we once imagined together — worlds filled with possibility, danger, wonder, and hope.
These films shaped generations across borders and backgrounds. Whether remembered vividly or absorbed through cultural memory, their themes live in our collective imagination. In a time when technology increasingly blurs the line between reality and illusion, this music returns to a deeper common ground: shared vision. As President Reagan once reflected, humanity’s divisions might fade in the face of something beyond ourselves — a reminder that beneath our differences, we are part of a single human story. Sci-Fi Standards taps into that idea not as politics, but as perspective — using familiar themes as a way to reconnect through imagination.
The album features Adam Birnbaum on piano, Nick Biello on saxophones, Luques Curtis on bass, and Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums. Together, they expand these cinematic motifs into rich harmonic landscapes and open improvisational frameworks — music that feels both epic and intimate, nostalgic and forward-looking.
With performances planned across the U.S., Asia, and Europe, Sci-Fi Standards arrives at a moment when revisiting the futures we once dreamed of together feels especially resonant.
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Press Quotes
"Porter's playing is fluid, expressive, and magnificent"
– DownBeat Magazine
"...technical wizardry"
– DownBeat Magazine
'. . . one of the most brilliant and imaginative contemporary composers of mainstream jazz. . . stimulating and emotive original music with a rare blend of sophistication and organic spontaneity. '
– Chicago Jazz Magazine
“…prodigious talent and imaginative creativity"
– Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz
“…honest and engaged fully with the embodiment of what jazz is musically”
– Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
"In an era of instant gratification, Charlie Porter stands as a reminder that depth still matters, that complexity can be beautiful, and that music remains, at its highest level, a conversation between the known and the possible."
– Paris Move
"There’s a deft touch behind every decision, evident in his ability to take the listener through hard left turns that feel like highway cruises."
– Samuel Feehan, Earshot Jazz
"...unorthodox and sophisticated"
– Oregon Artswatch
"Porter's excellent stylish playing draws you in;
you hang on each note"
– The Palm Beach Post
Quotes From Musicians
"Fiery and intelligent"
- Wynton Marsalis
“…virtuosic trumpet playing first of all, without sacrificing musicality”
-Randy Brecker
"With his creative soul, stylistic prowess, and effortless technical skills, Charlie Porter is taking what can be played on the trumpet to new heights”
-Wayne Bergeron
“Very innovative and creative, great sound, fantastic technique, and control"
-Arturo Sandoval
Bio
Charlie Porter is a GRAMMY Award–winning jazz trumpeter and composer who has been active on the international jazz scene for over two decades. He has released six albums as a leader, including Immigration Nation, which was named one of the Best Albums of the Year by DownBeat. As a performer and bandleader, Porter has appeared at major jazz festivals worldwide and at leading New York venues including The Blue Note, Smalls, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland, and The Jazz Gallery, among many others.
Of Lebanese, Greek, Italian, and British ancestry, Porter brings a naturally cross-cultural perspective to his work, shaping projects that merge musical traditions, interdisciplinary collaboration, and narrative design in ways that continually push the boundaries of jazz. He has collaborated and performed with a wide range of artists across generations of the music, including Joe Zawinul, Orrin Evans, Chuck Israels, Kenny Washington, Paquito D’Rivera, Winard Harper, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, among many others. His work emphasizes long-form composition, ensemble interplay, and concept-driven projects that often expand the possibilities of traditional jazz presentation — from live collaborations with visual artists to immersive, narrative-driven releases. DownBeat has described his playing as “fluid, expressive, and magnificent.” In addition to his work as a recording artist, he continues to develop new projects that explore the evolving language of modern jazz.
Charlie’s current work includes the upcoming release of his seventh album as a leader, Sci-Fi Standards, Vol. 1: The Future We Knew, due this summer. The project reimagines music from classic science-fiction cinema through an original jazz lens, blending composition, improvisation, and ensemble interplay. Following boundary-expanding releases such as Cipher and his Sketches project — which featured live collaboration with visual artists — the album continues Porter’s ongoing exploration of new creative frameworks. Its release will coincide with tours throughout the East Coast, West Coast, and Asia.
As a composer, Porter has been commissioned by the Doris Duke Foundation and Chamber Music America. He is currently Professor of Trumpet at New York University.
