Venue:
Croxton Park Hotel Thornbury
Date: 30/09/2016
Gregory Porter won a Grammy and sold over a million copies of Liquid Spirit his second last album and first on Blue Note. 2 things seem to come up in discussions about him. What’s with the hat and is he a jazz singer or a soul singer? So, the flat cap and head cover – in 2012 he explained it was to do with skin issues. No idea if this is still the case or it is now branding. You’d have to think it would be pretty hot for this big ex-American footballer in a suit under hot lights.
What style is he? Look him up and you will see a whole host of genres listed. Early on he did an album of Nat King Cole, he has done Gil Scott-Heron, he name checks Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, Coltrane. Others have mentioned Gregory Hine, Kurt Elling, there’s some Sam Cooke in there too.Lou Rawls – I could keep on going. Given such a mix I’d say he sounds like Gregory Porter. But the band is most definitely a jazz band. Drums curiously positioned off to the side , keys, stand up bass and sax. The show didn’t have other brass and the alto sax of Yosuke Sato was noticeably absent.
But this was supposed to be an intimate gig as publicity for next year’s Byron Bay Blues Festival where he is a headline act.Perhaps the full band will be back next year.The Croxton Park is an old sticky carpet rock dog pub now including international acts in sit down format. Rows of portable seats and 2 bars on the side. I preferred to stand.
I’ve listened to Liquid Spirit and the follow-up Take Me To The Alley repeatedly. It is the gentleness of his voice, its range, the cleverness of the lyrics, something to say and deftly said. Great recordings and, of course, lovely playing
He strikes me as a kind and gentle person. Politically conscious and motivated but much less militant than sayGil Scott Heron- there is more church in his charity.
The highlight for me and Mrs Wells was the lovely title track from his latest album Take Me To The Alley.
Take me to the alley
Take me to the afflicted ones
Take me to the lonely ones
That somehow lost their ways
Let them hear me say
I am your friend
Come to my table
He is playing Melbourne again next April at the far more salubrious Recital Hall. You’ll be able to find me there.
The audience:
Quite varied. Certainly very enthusiastic which had the band smiling from the get go. An annoying propensity to clap every sax solo irrespective of merit.
It made me think..
I’m glad I went.
Note to Admin photo licensed for non commercial use.
Junior Wells says
As discussed above:
Artery says
I has pretty much dismissed Gregory Porter as too mainstream and smooth for my taste, but his performance of Take Me To The Alley and Purple Rain on Later the week Prince died in April caught my attention so I read up on him and bought his last 2 cds for less than a tenner the pair. The guy is good and a few of his songs are very good. Too many songs are first person lurve songs, and there is too much lyrical repetition, but I had definitely under-rated him. He is a very talented singer. He just needs a bit more variety of pace in his repertoire to embrace rock and transcendence and he could become a major star.
Junior Wells says
He included 1960 What which is pretty funky and his encore was Sly’s Thankyoufalettinbemyself.
There is another record of him working with different bands /producers and they sound really good too.
retropath2 says
You utter bastard, @Artery, I was content too to dismiss him as jazz lite for the masses and now he sounds I have to go and check this for myself. I have only limited resources you know……
Mike_H says
Clapping of every solo is a tired old Jazz thing. I often find it really irritating and I do not participate unless a solo is particularly good.
The drummer at the side is so the rest of the band can see them better and interact. Possibly Mr. Porter’s drummer is the bandmaster and giving cues to the others.
I rather like the idea of drummers being more visible, not hidden behind their kit. A good drummer at work can be fascinating to watch.
Junior Wells says
Here’s a tiny desk performance
Vulpes Vulpes says
Here’s my favourite of all the performances I’ve seen of his: