Jazz in Vienna, Monday July 4: Gregory Porter: the magic of a voice > Jazz In Lyon

Jazz in Vienna, Monday July 4: Gregory Porter: the magic of a voice

Suaveness and depth, relaxation and rascal irony, and, above all, melodious from start to finish, the voice of this Californian singer has been making a name for itself on the world jazz scene for more than ten years.

It has become one of the essentials of Jazz in Vienna. It’s been going on for ten years already: in fact, Gregory Porter had pushed (if we can say so) the doors of the ancient theater for the first time ten years ago, in 2012. Since then he hasn’t stopped coming back. Leaving in passing some beautiful memories, whether in small formation, sharing the bill that evening with Roy Hargrove, or on the contrary, performing a nice pas de deux with the national orchestra of Lyon.

This time, the singer arrives/returns to Vienna in a small formation, that is to say in a quintet, surrounded by a few faithful such as Chip Crawford on the piano, Tivon Pennicott on the saxophone and Emmanuel Harrold on the drums. Beautiful people to build this little balanced world that the singer knows how to bring out almost every time.

Singer….we will obviously insist on the word or the qualifier. In the world of “vocal”, it is rare indeed the artists to have been able to impose the voice, their voice, alongside or within instruments or orchestras. Especially in the male. In this regard, it is an understatement to say that the young Californian hit the bull’s eye. Immediately. A tone of voice, which mixes smoothness, strength, depth, relaxation and a zest of rascal irony. Make no mistake: it’s rare. Even if Gregory Porter does not consider himself simply a “crooner”, he has all the charms. To say the least, as the alchemy of a voice (such as Sinatra) remains a mystery.

Add to that a career with beautiful stages: a mother more than sensitive to music, an apprenticeship in spirituality that can be read in her penchant for gospel, a passion for Nat King Cole, sprinkled with everything that germinated during her childhood. (including soul), a thwarted career in the field of sport, and, finally, a particular attention to the world in which he found himself immersed.

Above all, add to this an empathy that can be read as much in his childhood, in his career, in those who helped him become what he is, and ultimately, in his musical choices. Almost every Gregory Porter album is an event, whether it’s Liquid Spirit or the endearing All Rise. Admittedly, that tells us nothing about tonight’s recital, the start of a European tour passing through Montreux, Marciac, Rome, Berlin, Oslo or even the United States. Ransom of success and talent. But so much the better: the surprise will only be greater.

In doing so, Gregory Porter not only fits in the long term but comes to fill a space left disproportionately free for too long. Vocal art is so made that many try it but rare are those who manage to create this stopped time, where only the voice counts, whether it hums a tune that has been repeated many times or that it launches into a scat always tricky.

In all of these areas, Porter excels.