Gregory Porter Steam

“Better be good,” Gregory Porter quips, just before opening his mouth to sing for a crowd of thousands in one of London’s most historic venues. And it is good. One Night Only, a program venerating Nat “King” Cole (along the lines of Porter’s 2017 studio album of his songs), finds the authoritative baritone in a lush setting with a 70-piece orchestra led by famed arranger Vince Mendoza. But despite a prevalent focus on ballads—including the murderous, Cole Porter-penned “Miss Otis Regrets,” subject to intriguingly knotty reharmonization—Porter preserves the core of swing and soul that’s so central to his small-combo identity. Chip Crawford’s piano solo on “Pick Yourself Up,” Tivon Pennicott’s bebop tenor sax turns on “L-O-V-E” and “Sweet Lorraine,” bassist Jahmal Nichols’ bluesy aside on “When Love Was King,” the creative funk abandon of the quintet on the finale encore, “Don’t Lose Your Steam”: This is Porter in his element, formal setting or otherwise.

Since the release of his debut album Water in 2010, vocalist and songwriter Gregory Porter has been a force to be reckoned with. His very personal blend of jazz, gospel, blues and soul has drawn in fans from around the globe, particularly with the release of his Grammy Award winning third album Liquid Spirit in 2013 and his hugely successful new album Take Me To The Alley…

More than twenty years ago, when the first episode of the Verve & Blue Note Today compilation came out, no one would have thought that the CDs would be so popular to this day. Then as now, the compilations are not only suitable for finding out about new tracks and artists from the jazz scene, they are also great listening pleasure. The colorful mix of well-known jazz artists and young talents this time includes Jacob Collier, GoGo Penguin, Melody Gardot, Norah Jones, Ambrose Akinmusire etc.