A&E
Grammy-winning artist Gregory Porter brings jazz to the Hill
By Haley Lynch ’17
February 27, 2015
A somewhat tentative crowd gathered in Wellin Hall for “An Evening with Gregory Porter” last Saturday night. Some had heard of him before and were thrilled to be able to see him live, some attended out of curiosity – rumor has it his album Liquid Spirit won the Grammy for best jazz vocal album last year – and some seemed to have wandered in to get out of the cold at the last minute. The mélange of motives made for a cozy group on a snowy Saturday night.
As the lights dimmed and the audience settled, the band opened with a waltz theme full of triplets from Emanuel Harrold on the drums. The audience began to bob along with the rhythmic tides just as Gregory Porter stepped onto stage. His appearance was greeted with warm applause. Without much pageantry, he opened his mouth to sing “Painted on Canvas.”
This gorgeous opening song gave the audience the perfect opportunity to begin to become acquainted with each player’s unique personality. The lyrics draw attention to Porter’s poeticism, and the caramel-sweet subtle power of his voice is the perfect medium to carry his message. Lakecia Benjamin on alto saxophone took the first solo. Her bright sound lit up the auditorium with so many notes they almost seemed to push each other out of the way. Still, she did not shy away from the occasional rasp or growl, giving her technical prowess a sense of personality to go with it. Chip Crawford followed on piano, and proved that he was not afraid to leave a little space. Meanwhile, bassist Aaron James grinned as he laid down a foundation that tied the little group together to elegant effect.
Porter’s music, although classified in the jazz genre, is full of influence from gospel, blues and R&B styles, making it feel more accessible to a wider audience. Saturday night’s set, played from the albums Water, Be Good and Liquid Spirit was full of a variety of styles from ballad to funk, sometimes even contained within one song. A piece entitled “No Love Dying” began quietly, but the band built upon the passion in Porter’s voice until the audience was clapping along to a much more upbeat feel, full of positivity as we echoed Porter’s hopeful words: “There will be no love that’s dying here.”
Porter sings with such passion and such control, it is impossible not to be pulled into the atmosphere he creates. A crowd favorite was “Hey Laura,” perhaps the group’s most popular composition. Throughout the night, he switched between his more sensitive songs and several with more political messages, including “1960 What?” and “Musical Genocide.” With the help of his band, Porter was always able to shift the audience effortlessly from one mood to the next in order to deliver profound messages of love and freedom.
They even played from the inventory of classic old jazz tunes including a song most famously recorded by Chet Baker called “I Fall in Love Too Easily.” The song is a really beautiful ballad, performed with grace. James pulled out a bow for his bass to create a sensuous soundscape augmented by Porter’s vocals. Although Benjamin’s dexterity on saxophone certainly cannot be contested, it almost seemed like she played too many notes on this piece. One might have wished for her to choose colors to stick with – almost to fall in love with – for a moment, instead of rushing on to the next note. The audience was nonetheless enchanted.
Throughout the night, each member reinforced and intensified each others’ playing. The group’s cohesion made it possible for them to take risks, most notably in the use of a microphone which directly linked the saxophone to a synthesizer, allowing Benjamin to harmonize with herself. This trick, which she saved for the last song, sent an almost electrical jolt through a very surprised and momentarily bewildered audience. The group’s solidity behind her, along with Porter’s soulful voice beside her, provided the perfect context for this type of gamble. Gregory Porter brings an innovative spirit which keeps jazz today fresh and flourishing. At the end of the night, Porter and his band walked off stage amidst enthusiastic applause from a crowd on its feet.