He has been called the unlikeliest pop star of the modern age. Standing at 6ft 3in, Gregory Porter looks more like a gentle giant than someone who has won Grammy Awards for his Jazz albums. A big, stocky, middle-aged, and bearded jazz singer, Porter is known for wearing a balaclava to cover his facial scars. However, what makes him famous the world over is his mellow baritone, a smooth mid-range voice that is warm and thick and easy on the ears. If you’re a jazz lover and haven’t heard of Porter’s latest album Take Me to the Alley, then get these Gregory Porter tickets now. He may be the unlikeliest pop star, but his music didn’t become famous through sheer stroke of luck. 

Take Me to the Alley instantly became one of the best-selling jazz albums of 2016 and won Gregory Porter a Grammy in 2017 in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. He is an incredibly talented artist who is just getting started.

Honoring his mother’s dying wish

A Californian, Gregory Porter was born in Sacramento and raised in Bakersfield, where his mother was a minister. Porter’s mother Ruth was a single mother and also the biggest influence on his life. She encouraged him to sing in church. However, Porter was destined to be a pro-football player, not a jazz maestro. After graduating from high school, he won a full athletic scholarship to San Diego State University.  However, a shoulder injury dashed his pro-football dreams. Soon another tragedy befell; his mother died of cancer, but not before telling him “Sing, baby, Sing!”

It began in Brooklyn

In 2004, Porter moved to Brooklyn along with his brother, where he worked in a restaurant. In his free time, Porter began to perform. Soon he started to perform in various neighborhoods, before getting a permanent gig at Harlem’s St. Nick’s Pub. Here, Porter met other jazz musicians who would become part of Porter’s touring band.

Porter’s albums

Porter’s debut album Water came out in 2010. An instant hit, Water was nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category. In 2012, Porter released his second album Be Good. BBC while reviewing this album said: “Gregory Porter has a voice and musicality to be reckoned with.” This album contained most of Porter’s own compositions and it became famous for both his compositions and Porter’s unique voice. Some of the most critically acclaimed singles from the album were “On My Way to Harlem,” “Real Good Hand” and “Be Good (Lion’s Song).” The last song also got nominated for the “Best Traditional R&B Performance” at the 55th Grammy Awards.

Both of these albums were released under Motéma Music. In 2013, Gregory Porter signed with Blue Note Records which released his third album Liquid Spirit.

Liquid Spirit was released in 2013 and keeping in line with its predecessors, was nominated for the Grammy Award. However, unlike Porter’s previous albums, it actually won the award too for the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” in 2014. The New York Times, while reviewing this album said “a jazz singer of thrilling presence, a booming baritone with a gift for earthy refinement and soaring uplift.”

While the American audience has been traditionally receptive to jazz music, it was in England that Liquid Spirit enjoyed unprecedented success. It sold more than 100,000 copies in the UK and was certified Gold. The album also reached the Top 10 on the UK Album Charts.

Porter’s latest and fourth album Take Me to the Alley was released in 2016. It won Porter his second Grammy Award. The album was produced by Kamau Kenyatta, perhaps the biggest influence on Porter’s life, after his mother. A 12-track album, it charted at the top of music charts in New Zealand, while reaching top ten in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and the UK.

Live performances

Gregory Porter, in 2016, performed at the Glastonbury Festival in front of thousands of fans. Later the same year, he performed at Hyde Park, London, followed by his performance at the annual BBC Children in Need Show. He is touring again all over Europe and North America. If you love jazz then get these Gregory Porter tickets now before they are all sold out.

Against all odds

The facts that jazz isn’t as famous as R&B amongst the younger generation, that Porter, a middle-aged, big burly bearded man who wears a balaclava and who started making music as late as 40, all make him the unlikeliest of music stars. But what makes him a worldwide phenomenon is the ear of his listener. Writing for The Telegraph, Neil McCormick says “The 45-year-old’s success is a wonderful reminder that the most important organ when it comes to judging music should always be our ears.”

This just sums up Porter and his music.