03 November 2026 (gig)
7 h
One day shy of his 55th birthday, Gregory Porter is in Milan to perform as part of this year’s JAZZMI festival, now in its 11th year. A two-time Grammy Award winner for Best Jazz Vocal Album, first in 2014 for the magnificent Liquid Spirit and again in 2017 for Take Me To The Alley, Porter has maintained a relatively low profile since the release of 2020’s worthy All Rise, with the rather conventional Christmas album Christmas Wish (2023) among his more recent releases.
Having graced all the major stages around the world, his appearance at Milan’s Alcatraz club is quite a coup. There are plenty of eager, enthusiastic punters, myself included, hanging around and sipping a beer while we await his arrival.
His voice is unique. He sings jazz, but he is very much a soul man, with his background in gospel and musical theatre contributing to this delicious mix. It’s a bit like one of those desserts made with three different types of chocolate, each bringing something different to the table: tantalisingly rich and smooth, but it’s the complexity of all three together that makes you sit back, take it all in and leave you hungry for more. There’s definitely a disciple of Nat King Cole in there, as well as something of the smooth, serene, soulful delivery of the wonderful Luther Vandross. But that gospel grounding, coupled with his storytelling lyrics, gives his voice a more mournful, melancholic timbre that is utterly beguiling. So, what will the live experience be like, I wonder?
It’s standing room only, and part of the club has been blocked off, so it’s just a few hundred people in the crowd. Considering he will be playing the Royal Albert Hall on three nights next summer, this is about as intimate as you can get. The atmosphere is wonderfully chilled, too, and GP can relax and enjoy himself, with nothing at stake at all.
Well, the evening turns out to be a treat. The band – Scooter Brown on saxophone, Chip Crawford on piano and Fender Rhodes (as well as musical director), Ondrej Pivec on Hammond organ and keyboards, Jahmal Nichols on bass and Emanuel Harrold on drums – are a formidable bunch of jazz musicians. Their solos and improvisations embellish Porter’s pop, jazz and soul compositions, adding colour and dynamism without ever overshadowing the man himself.
Porter’s ability to jive-talk his way through themes of love, goodwill and human warmth makes the whole experience enchanting. He manages to encourage audience participation, with clapping and singing, in a wonderfully organic way, without cajoling or demanding those often awkward and uncomfortable gestures from everyone in the room. I’d say that’s because he is entirely sincere. His voice is so serene and unruffled, with no vocal theatrics thrown in simply to win applause. It’s all about singing to the tone and gravitas of the lyrics and allowing the musicians to contribute their own dynamism and intensity.
Among the highlights of tonight’s performance are “Liquid Spirit”, with its infectious, hand-clapping accompaniment that really propels the song; the wonderful “In Fashion”, featuring a superb solo from longtime collaborator and musical director Chip Crawford; and “Hey Laura”, which is as pleasing and captivating as it was the first time I heard it.
The absolute heights are reached with “Take Me To The Alley”. Its heart-wrenching lyrics, combined with the band’s sombre mood and understated delivery, seem to stop time as the crowd listens intently. There are some notable solos, too, including a sublime saxophone passage from Scooter Brown and an impressive, apparently improvised interplay between the two keyboard players.
“Mister Holland” features Jahmal on electric bass, while the poignant lyrics, set against a rock-jazz backdrop, make for a particularly interesting and exhilarating moment. The song then develops into something of a free-form rock-jazz jam, with the tempo picking up and everyone suddenly on their toes.
Closing with “No Dying Love”, the evening has been pretty much perfect. The crowd sings the outro as Porter slowly and gradually leaves the stage, allowing the band to bring the song to a close in their own time and receive the final accolades. So understated but it’s no small thing, the great man leaving the closing minutes to his top notch band.
They do all come back for an encore. Not the first time I’ve found this to be a rather dated and unnecessary ritual. It’s a bit like the double dip (Seinfeld fans will know): just end it! We get “It’s Probably Me”, which is a tad too fast for my liking. I have, as do another 69 million YouTube viewers , GP’s performance at the Polar Music Prize ceremony honouring Sting firmly in my mind, and that remains unforgettable. During the ensuing jam, Gregory once again leaves the stage, entrusting the crowd with a refrain he has set up while the band plays on. Once was pure magic; twice, well…
Still, that’s me, Mr Gripes. Gregory Porter strikes me as a genuinely nice guy, a wonderful singer and an accomplished entertainer who deserves all the accolades and recognition he has received and continues to receive. With shows coming up in the States, followed by a summer tour of the UK next year, catching him live is an opportunity not to be missed.
