About The Band
Ron Porter
Percussion / Vocals
Ron brings a lifetime of experience to the band. He began playing drums at twelve and discovered singing at fourteen while growing up at the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Children's School in Normal, IL. From eighth grade through college Ron performed with various local bands, playing pop, jazz, funk, rock and roll and country. These varied experiences gave Ron the depth and range that has shaped his style.
After graduating from Illinois State University, Ron had to make the choice of performing on the road or becoming a teacher, he chose the latter, and spent the majority of his career in the West Aurora (IL) School District teaching performing arts, all the while singing and playing with bands in the Chicago area.
Among his many influences Ron lists are Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland and Lonnie Brooks to name a few.
After graduating from Illinois State University, Ron had to make the choice of performing on the road or becoming a teacher, he chose the latter, and spent the majority of his career in the West Aurora (IL) School District teaching performing arts, all the while singing and playing with bands in the Chicago area.
Among his many influences Ron lists are Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland and Lonnie Brooks to name a few.
Wynn Kanten
Bass / Vocals
Wynn's love of music comes from his Mother's family - all of whom played a different instrument. He grew up - musically - in the Sioux Falls area and then spent the better part of 10 years on the road as a traveling bass player / vocalist in various groups - eventually settling in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. For the next 15 years, Wynn played Bass and sang in his own groups as a full-time musician...and a full-time student at Wayne State University. During his Michigan period, Wynn explored Pop music, R&B, Theatre (yes, he played in a pit band), Swing music and the Pop Country of the 70's. Back on the road again in the mid-80's, Wynn lived for a time in Laredo, Texas and explored Tex-Mex music along with flat-out Country - as was the pop culture of that area. After stops in Florida, Illinois and California, this versatile player ended in the Chicagoland area in 1990 and has carved his niche as an on-call player for several different projects - including Country, Pop music, Rock & Roll, Blues, Swing, Jazz and Show music. Wynn brings this wide range of interests to the Ron Porter Band as a strong bottom end bass player.
Bob Kresz
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Bob’s life has always been driven by music. He got his start playing dinner music for the last supper. Unfortunately, it was a free gig, Judas left the supper early without paying. (Cue the rim shot Ron!). He started playing organ at age 8 and then piano and electric keyboards soon after. He fell in love with a variety of music. He grew up wanting to be a Beatle and then Billy Joel. He would listen to his mom sing in the Sunday church choir and then learn how to play traditional German songs while accompanying his dad who played saxophone. The many years since then have taken him on many musical adventures, including playing organ for a local softball team’s home games (“Take me out to the ballgame”), demonstrating and selling pianos and organs for a local music store in Aurora and even traveling on the road for 6 months with a band from Nashville. Today, preferring to stay closer to home, he continues to wear many musical hats. He’s acted as musical director for local performances of “Forever Plaid”, “Grease”, “Fairways” and “I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change.” He continues to play with bands, orchestras, and musical pit bands and accompanies church choirs and soloists. Today’s technology gives keyboard players a whole orchestra at their fingertips. Bob is excited to bring this wall of sound to the Ron Porter Band and to share the stage with these amazing musical artists.
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Jim Selig
Saxophone
Jim Selig began playing the alto and tenor saxophone around the age of 10. He played in various school bands in elementary, junior and senior high school, where he redirected his focus to tenor and baritone saxophone. After high school Jim played for 8 years with the Wheaton Municipal Band and the Wheaton symphony. More recently he has played for the DeKalb Municipal Band for the last 8 years. Jim has played in a variety of setting with a variety of groups throughout the Chicagoland area. He played with famous Elvis Impersonator Trent Carlini for 4 years, playing at the Rosemont theater, The House of Blues, and venues in Washington D.C. Locally, Jim has played with the bands, Southbound, August, Liberty Road, JD Brown and The Fairlanes. There are many other groups and performers that he gives credit to, too many to list. Jim's musical influence comes from several genres including, jazz, R&B, rock and country.