Gregory Porter

Born on November 4, 1971 in Sacramento, California and raised in Bakersfield, Gregory Porter was one of seven children. Enchanted by his mother's Nat King Cole records, he grew up immersed in gospel, jazz music and sports. He won an athletic scholarship to San Diego State University, but his promising football career was cut short by a shoulder injury, His mother Ruth, who died of cancer when he was 21, urged him to concentrate on music instead. Mentored by pianist/sax player Kamau Kenyatta, he moved to Brooklyn in 2004 where he worked as a chef at a restaurant and also sang regularly. Gregory Porter went on to gain an important weekly residency at St Nicks Pub in Harlem. His work with the house band there gradually evolved into a proper touring unit. Flautist Hubert Laws featured him singing on his album Hubert Laws Remembers the Unforgettable Nat King Cole, which led him to being cast as one of the leads in a new musical, It Ain't Nothing But the Blues, which went on to enjoy a successful run on Broadway. It opened the door for his 2010 debut album Water and quickly established him as one of the most exciting new vocal talents of the year. His relaxed and easy vocal technique drew on familiar jazz and soul styles, yet still sounded highly contemporary. His reputation was consolidated by his entirely self-written follow-up album Be Good in 2012, which sold particularly well in Europe. Signing to the Blue Note label, he released his highly successful Grammy Award-winning third album Liquid Spirit. Produced by Brian Bacchus, Liquid Spirit went on to become the most streamed jazz album of all time. Gregory Porter’s 2016 album Take Me to the Alley enjoyed a similar level of success and acclaim. In 2017, he honored the man he has always regarded as his greatest inspiration on the album Nat King Cole & Me, which featured his interpretations of Nat King Cole’s classics. The album helped consolidate him as one of jazz's most compelling figures. In August 2020, he released his sixth album, All Rise, which was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award.