This past Thursday, March 6, Grammy Award winning artist Gregory Porter delivered two stellar performances at the Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge. Gregory performed from his new album Liquid Spirit that won the 2014 Best Jazz Vocal Album and several songs from previous albums. He is considered as one of the greatest contemporary jazz singers of our time.
I was fortunate enough to attend the second of two shows, an evening filled with soft ballads of blues, jazz, soul, and gospel tunes. The voice of Gregory Porter is of such a soft and unique timbre, you’d think he was singing just for you. On the ballads his brilliant voice was almost effortlessly summoned and it reached you like a stream of warm air. “No One Dying” and “Skylark” were perfect examples of his ability to communicate an intimacy through his tender voice. Throughout the show Gregory joked with the crowd, showing his cool and charismatic side. After a few tunes, Porter introduced the band and an audience member showed an enormous liking to extremely talented alto saxophone player Yosuke Sate. A native of Japan, Porter made gestured to Sato, “…Come down South and get all turned out!” much to the crowd’s laughter. The title track “Liquid Spirit” from his new album got the audience engaged with a gospel clap-along. Songs like “1960 What?”, a tribute to Martin Luther King and civil struggles of Detroit, and “Work Song” created suspense with their deep poetry and beautiful hymns respectfully. The band also performed “The Way You Want To Live”, a song about extreme characters in Porter’s life. A much satisfied crowd let out shouts when Porter started his popular song “Real Good Hands”. “On my way to Harlem” gave the room a nice laid back feel that instantly made you feel like you riding the A-Train. Gregory’s band was tightly knit, each member complimenting one another and blending seamlessly together. Taking turns soloing, each member utilized silence in such a way that every note they played was part of Gregory’s musical phrases. Porter even did some scatting on some songs, expanding on the complexity of his melodies. Band members were Emanuel Harrold on drums, Chip Crawford on piano, Aaron James on Bass and Yosuke Sato on alto saxophone. Gregory Porter is a class act that will soon be known throughout the world for his amazing musical integrity and breathtaking voice.
He’ll be making yet another appearance in Louisiana for this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Friday, April 25.
Stream the full album Liquid Spirit Here
Artist Review: Gregory Porter Serenades Baton Rouge With Jazz and Soul
March 11, 2014