Gregory Porter credits his mom with motivating him

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      New Yorker Gregory Porter may only have two albums under his belt, but he’s already got a strong fan base in the U.K., where he’s hailed as one of the brave new songwriters in the jazz and soul groove.

      “People walk up to me there and say, ‘We like you because you’ve got a firm grip on the tradition of soulful jazz, and even straight-up soul music and ’70s R&B’—which is still very popular there,” says Porter, reached at his Brooklyn home.

      British musos like Jools Holland—host of the BBC’s hugely influential show Later…, on which Porter has sung—also admire great voices. Porter’s elastic ease, wide range, and warm, rich tone are a delight, especially combined with his fine sense of phrasing and timing.

      He’s been practising from a young age. “My mother was a minister and poet, and I grew up singing in church, and performing gospel solos since I was five,” says Porter. “I’ve no formal education in music, but it was always an important part of my life. My mother loved Nat King Cole, and that was my first influence in jazz. I learned a little song and she said I sounded like him.”

      The connection was strong, and has lasted. But Porter is also a fine lyricist. On Be Good, released last year, his writing ranges from the sharp and witty “Bling Bling” to the emotionally charged title song, in which he plays cleverly with lion metaphors and imagery. Porter can also be sentimental, but he’s never cloying. One of Be Good’s most impressive numbers is “Mother’s Song”, Porter’s tribute to his most important influence.

      “My mother comes up in a lot of my music,” says Porter. “She was a very strong, positive, motivating force in my life. The second part of the song is a message to my brothers and sisters. I remember times when all eight of us would be in church. Generally, the sermon would have an arc to it, starting off real slow, then go to this place where you had to hold on to your hat! The sermon would heat up and the music would heat up—so that’s what the song does.”

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