Gregory Porter first drew widespread attention in the 2010s through his distinctive warm baritone and an organic fusion of jazz, soul, and gospel traditions. Skilled at both timeless standards and present-day soul material, he earned praise for echoes of his heroes Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder. His breakthrough arrived with a Grammy nomination for the 2010 debut Water. Greater exposure followed his move to Blue Note, highlighted by the 2013 album Liquid Spirit—his third release—which climbed to number two on the jazz charts and captured the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Though original compositions remain central, Porter has regularly revisited formative influences, as heard on the 2017 tribute Nat King Cole & Me. After a 2018 live set captured at London’s Royal Albert Hall, he returned to R&B-leaning songwriting on 2020’s All Rise, then assembled standards, new pieces, and prominent duets on the 2021 collection Still Rising and the 2023 holiday album Christmas Wish.
Born in Los Angeles in 1971, Porter spent his childhood in Bakersfield, California, where his mother served as a minister. Her record collection sparked an early fascination with Cole, whom he learned to emulate. A standout athlete as well, he earned a football scholarship to San Diego State University after high school, yet a shoulder injury ended that path and prompted a relocation to Brooklyn. There he spent days working as a chef while singing in neighborhood jazz venues, eventually crossing paths with saxophonist, composer, and pianist Kamau Kenyatta.
Kenyatta soon became a guiding figure, connecting Porter with flutist Hubert Laws. Laws included him on a track for the 1998 album Hubert Laws Remembers the Unforgettable Nat King Cole. During those sessions, Laws’ sister Eloise Laws heard Porter and cast him in a lead role in the musical It Ain’t Nothing But the Blues, which later reached Broadway. Porter issued his debut, Water, on Motéma Music in 2010; it received strong notices and a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Two years later Be Good appeared, reflecting further artistic assurance.
In September 2013 he delivered his Blue Note debut and third album overall, Liquid Spirit. Produced by Brian Bacchus, the project proved a major success, reaching number two on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart, earning the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and becoming one of the most streamed jazz albums ever with over 20 million plays. His next Blue Note effort, Take Me to the Alley, arrived in early 2016 and featured his own rendition of “Holding On,” the song he co-wrote and first recorded with electronic duo Disclosure. That same year he also released the concert album Live in Berlin.
The following year Porter issued a full-length homage to his greatest influence. The Grammy-nominated Nat King Cole & Me presented his interpretations of Cole classics such as “Smile” and “Mona Lisa.” The live recording One Night Only: Live at the Royal Albert Hall followed in 2018. Two years later he resumed original material on his sixth studio album, the Troy Miller-produced All Rise. It earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album and set the stage for the two-disc set Still Rising: The Collection, which mixed standards and originals with duets involving Renée Fleming, Dianne Reeves, Laura Mvula, and others. Porter’s first holiday album, Christmas Wish, appeared in 2023, pairing standards like “Christmas Waltz” and “What Are You Doing New Years Eve?” with originals that included the title track.
