release date: Sep. 2, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Kamau Kenyatta
label: Motéma Music - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Illusion" - 3. "Magic Cup" - 4. "Skylark" - 7. "1960 What?" - 10. "Water"
Studio album debut by Gregory Porter released on the small independent label Motéma Music. Stylistically, it's a blend of various stylistic variations of jazz, although, you will find resemblances with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Gregory Hines. Porter has written more than half of the compositions here as if he was himself a longtime composer of jazz. It's the type of vocal jazz that bonds with great artists from the 1960s and '70s and Porter's voice is on top of most songs - binding it all nicely together.
The overall sensation here is an album of pure jazz with several tracks leaving room for traditional improvisational parts, which may distinguish this from Porter's later releases. He sings with wide variation and demonstrates his strong vocal - be it energetic bop-style, introspective soulful vocal jazz and occasionally with a warm, almost touching a Nat King Cole traditional sound.
I think it's an impressive accomplishment that showcases Mr. Porter's sense of quality - in songwriting skills, as arranger and as a great vocalist. My only complaint about the album is its lack of direction. He demonstrates his skills, but it contains many styles and jumping from one end of the genre to the other and pinning out a few others on the way doesn't make it a solid whole. That said, the album really serves to put Gregory porter up front when speaking of contemporary jazz.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]
