Gregory Porter: How the jazz superstar rose to fame

'Water'

Releasing his debut album Water through the Motéma Music label in May 2010, Gregory became an instant household name among Jazz aficionados, featuring original hits such as 'Illusion', 'Magic Cup' and '1960 What?', as well as covers of 'Skylark', 'But Beautiful' and an incredibly powerful, totally unaccompanied version of 'Feeling Good'.

'Be Good'

Gregory's follow-up album Be Good was released in February 2012, again through Motéma Music. This record was made up of mostly original songs by Gregory, including the title track 'Be Good (Lion's Song)' and 'On My Way to Harlem' - however, it also featured a couple of covers: 'Work Song' by Nat Adderley and 'God Bless the Child' by Billie Holiday. The record charted in the Netherlands, France and Belgium, bringing Gregory more international success.

'Liquid Spirit'

Gregory's third album was released just 18 months after his second in September 2013 - and it was this record that really solidified his stature as one of the modern Jazz greats. Liquid Spirit was Gregory's first release through the inimitable Blue Note Records, featuring singles 'Musical Genocide', 'No Love Dying', 'Hey Laura' and 'Water Under Bridges', as well as the title track and a cover of 'The 'In' Crowd' by Billy Page.


The special edition version also features a covers of 'When You Wish Upon A Star', 'Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)' with Julie London, 'Puttin' On The Ritz' and 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' with Jamie Cullum.


Not only did the record break into the Top 10 in countries around the world like the UK, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, it also peaked at Number 2 on the US Top Jazz Albums and was certified Platinum here in the UK. But the biggest achievement came a year later at the 2014 Grammy Awards, enabling Gregory to take home the award for 'Best Jazz Vocal Album'.


2013 was also the same year in which Gregory Porter was awarded his first Jazz FM Awards, for 'Live Show of the Year'. He was then awarded 'International Jazz Artist of the Year' at the 2015 ceremony, followed by a remarkable third win at the 2016 awards, unsurprisingly for the 'Impact Award'.

'Take Me to the Alley'

'Take Me to the Alley' is Gregory's fourth album, released almost three years after its predecessor in May 2016, again through Blue Note Records. Featuring the single 'Don't Lose Your Steam', the album also featured 'In Heaven', written by Gregory's cousin Darlene Andrews, as well as 'Holding On' - a collaboration with electronic music duo Disclosure which served to dip Gregory's toes into the mainstream.


The record peaked at Number 5 in the UK, again breaking into the Top 10 in Germany and Denmark, as well as Belgium and New Zealand - and he once again took home the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 2017 awards.

'Nat King Cole & Me'

Nat King Cole was a major influence on Gregory's music, but also his life in general. After writing a song aged five for his mum, she noted how similar he sounded to the Jazz legend, prompting him to listen to her collection of his records - so it's no surprise that for his fifth album, Gregory chose to undertake a tribute album to Nat King Cole, released via Blue Note Records and Decca Records.


Gregory commented at the time of its release in October 2017 that the record had been 25 years in the making - which is surely a reference to Gregory's show of the same name from 2004. However, Gregory was given the final push to make the album after sharing the idea with Nat's daughter, Natalie Cole, after one of her concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and receiving her approval.


Speaking out about how difficult it was to pick from Nat King Cole's back catalogue, Gregory added that he'd struggled to contain his emotions while recording the album, "Literally this was just a dream come true, it felt so good."


He ended up including covers of 'Smile', 'L-O-V-E', 'The Christmas Song' and his personal favourite, 'Nature Boy', which he explained had always influenced him, "The ending line is important as a life message for me, I love singing that line to people – 'the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return'." It peaked at Number 3 in the UK and topped the US Top Jazz Albums chart.

'All Rise'

Gregory's sixth album, All Rise__, was released in August 2020, having been postponed from April due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Reflecting on the record in an interview with Jazz FM, he mused: "It's the message of walking into this life and having some fear and self-doubt, and the point where you grab onto something that you know is real, the silent and real things, the truth... Once you can wrap onto the truth, then this fearlessness comes."


Tracks on the album include 'Dad Gone Thing', which is heartbreakingly about his non-existent relationship with his father: 'If Love Is Overrated' and 'Mister Holland', which saw Gregory open up about racial prejudice he's faced in his own life, further explaining: "Ultimately 'Mister Holland' is a song about equality. It's about the desire for mutual respect and the desire for a young man to be treated like an average teenager. A song of thank you for being treated normal. The implied unspoken experience is the subtle protest of this song."


Unsurprisingly, the title left many fans scratching their heads over the identity - just who is Mister Holland? Thankfully, Gregory put this to be in an interview with the Yorkshire Post: "I graciously use the name of one of your countrymen, Jools Holland, they're just two great names. It was just poetry right when I started to write the song.


"I probably started writing it when I was at Jools's house, he invited me in and treated me sweet and kind and normal and we listened to blues records, so there are references to my visit to see him in the music," but gave firm assurances that it wasn't autobiographical about Jools or his daughter - just that he liked the names.

'Christmas Wish'

'Christmas Wish' is Gregory's most recent album - released on 3rd November 2023, and serving as his first ever Christmas album. A blend of festive classics and original tracks, the album is a tribute to Gregory's favourite time of the year, as well as to the legendary songwriters and singers such as Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Dinah Washington, and Nat King Cole. Bringing warmth and soul to classic festive songs like 'Silent Night' and 'Christmas Time Is Here', Gregory also penned three brand new tracks for the album - 'Christmas Wish', 'Heart For Christmas' and 'Everything's Not Lost'.

Speaking on 'Everything's Not Lost', the singer explained: "I'm always thinking of balance." With the track revolving around remembering those less fortunate than us, he explained: "That has been instilled in me, and it keeps coming up in a lot of my music. At your highest, at your greatest, at your most pleasant time, don't forget about other people who are suffering."

WINNER: Pufferfish - Samantha Barks

RUNNER UP: Dressed Crab - Gregory Porter

THIRD PLACE: Wolf - Marti Pellow