Vocalist Gregory Porter performs with an inviting baritone that evokes numerous classic singers. He normally relies on contemporary material, but his newest release, “Nat King Cole And Me” (Blue Note) pays loving tribute to a timeless performer. There’s no doubt that the 46-year-old Porter (He’ll perform at Denver’s Newman Center on–Nov. 4, his 47th—birthday) will direct a new generation to Cole’s warm, genuine original recordings.
“To me, he’s an influence and inspiration,” Porter told me about his relationship with Cole’s massive cultural legacy. “It goes back to my childhood, when I was six. I needed these male voices and messages that came from his records.” (Porter grew up estranged from his father and was raised by his mother in a single-parent family.) “I had this funny ability to say, ‘Hey, that pertains to me’ when he sang, ‘pick yourself up, dust yourself off.’ ”
“Smile” (one of many Cole hit songs) means something to me. They were moral messages that I internalized. I’m telling my son the same things that I got from Nat King Cole.”
Like Cole before him, Porter chose to sing live with an orchestra for the selections on the new album, even recording a couple of tracks at Hollywood’s historic Capitol Records building, where Cole himself recorded.
“It was crazy,” Porter enthuses. “The piano we used was Nat’s piano. I sat on (Frank) Sinatra’s stool. The vibes player was Nat’s vibes player! This was a cat who was on the original recordings.”
Judging by the material that has been released in advance of the release of “Nat King Cole And Me,” (out–Oct. 27) Porter, who has picked up two best jazz vocal Grammy awards in recent years, might want to clear some shelf space for another statuette in the next year or so. His covers of “Smile” and “L-O-V-E” are as relaxed and majestic as Cole’s original versions. And Porter continues to find inspiration in the recordings that resonated with him 40 years ago.
“His emotion is extraordinary. The clarity, the diction … but in a way, the emotion is the most important thing. He sings very ‘cinematic.’ He’s a great storyteller, and very empathetic.”
Gregory Porter, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m., The Newman Center,–. Tickets range from $47 to $78. Get info at—.
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The innovative saxophonist Greg Osby plays a rare Denver date in the intimate confines of Nocturne Jazz on–Oct. 26. Don’t miss out on tickets. … Singer Jonathan Butler plays the Soiled Dove Underground on—Oct. 27.—… Denver bassist and key local artist Ken Walker brings his sextet to Dazzle—Oct. 27, and Freddy Cole, younger brother of the above-mentioned Nat King Cole, sings and plays at Dazzle on—Nov. 1. … A reminder that one of the finest violinists in jazz history, Regina Carter, is also coming to Dazzle for two nights,—Nov. 21-22, as she pays tribute to Ella Fitzge
–ܲԻ—(bretsaunders@kbco.com) can be heard from—6 to 11 a.m.—weekdays at KBCO 97.3 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @Bretontheradio
