Simply put, Gregory Porter is one of the premier jazz vocalists working today. But there’s more to him than that overarching description might suggest. Like many of the greatest vocalists, Porter was raised in the church tradition, his mother an ordained minister, and sang gospel from a young age. This unforced spirituality pervades his music, giving it a natural soulfulness that is impossible to ignore, and deliciously enveloping to hear.
A physically imposing, gentle giant of a man, we can thank a collegiate sport injury that prevented him from pursuing that line of employment and gave him the opportunity to focus on his god-given (or at least god-inspired!) talents behind the microphone. This prowess led to two Grammy awards for Best Jazz Vocal, and a string of wildly popular albums — not to mention the crossover dance smash “1960 What?”
Name-checking Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, and Nat King Cole as precursors to his style, Porter and his rich, sonorous baritone are an indisputable pleasure as indulgent and comforting as a home-cooked meal and after-dinner fireside drink.
