When we reviewed the new David Murray CD, the excellent Be My Monster Love, we mentioned the sheer breadth of inspiration – from big band jazz to Coltrane, from Sly Stone to the Roots. A similar sentiment might easily be applied to singer Gregory Porter, who features on the new Murray album. He effortlessly combines jazz with classic African-American singer songwriters from the early 1970s, such as Bill Withers and Curtis Mayfield, together with elements of funk and gospel. Indeed, he sets out his manifesto in his new song, ‘Musical Genocide’, in which he suggests that he struggles to embrace more modern styles. He yearns for the era of gospel and blues, and the “soul man, with your heart in the palm of his hand, singing his stories of love and pain.”
Porter’s debut album, Water, seemingly came out of nowhere in 2010, and quickly gained airplay as a result of the incendiary ‘1960 What?’ which was popular with DJs. In fact, he had sung on a Hubert Laws album, a tribute to Nat ‘King’ Cole’, as early as 1988, and had spent much of the intervening period working in musical theatre. Liquid Spirit is his third solo album, and his first for Blue Note. It is also his most accomplished recording to date, and features some fine compositions.
The album opens with ‘No Love Dying’, the song’s style reminding me of classic Donny Hathaway. Porter sings with a warm, rich chocolate tone, but still sounds comfortable when reaching for the upper register. The song also features an exquisite alto sax solo by Yosuke Sato. The horn section on the title track is pure James Brown, but the lyric and handclaps are gospel-influenced, driven by a fine bass line, courtesy of Aaron James. ‘Hey Laura’ is gorgeous, the relaxed delivery and tender vocal bringing to mind early 1970’s Bill Withers, which can’t be a bad thing.
There are a number of ballads on the album, on which Porter is accompanied by his pianist, Chip Crawford, who used to play with the Four Tops. They include the soulful ‘Water Under Bridges’, and When Love Was King’, an elegant song with echoes of post-trio Nat ‘King’ Cole. A couple of well-chosen covers round out the CD, including Porter’s tribute to Abbey Lincoln, ‘Lonesome Lover’, and Sammy Cahn’s ‘I Fall In Love Too Easily’.
By combining jazz with elements of R&B and gospel, Porter is helping to broaden the market for jazz; he has also delivered one of the best vocal albums of the year.
