Cork Jazz Festival review: Gregory Porter's sweet songs charm a packed Opera House
Gregory Porter on stage at Cork Opera House for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Picture: Darragh Kane
★★★★☆
It was raining heavily outside but inside Cork Opera House on Thursday night, the crowd luxuriated in the warm and mellow vibes generated by Gregory Porter.
The popular Grammy award-winning singer was the biggest draw of this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, and the Californian didn’t disappoint in his first of two sell-out gigs.
Looking dapper as ever in his distinctive headgear and a tan check suit, he had a literally packed house in the palm of his hand from the off with some well-judged banter. He began with one of his best-known songs, 'Holding On', before launching into a blistering performance of 'On My Way To Harlem'.
Porter has a gently commanding but reassuring stage presence, dealing with some early microphone issues with grace and humour. He may have had star billing but there was absolutely no ego in evidence, and on numerous occasions throughout the night he stood back to let his virtuosic band members strut their impressive stuff, with standout solos from Scooter Brown on sax, Chip Crawford on piano and a wonderfully inventive and entertaining interlude from Jahmal Nichols on double bass.
Porter deploys his own instrument with an apparent effortlessness that belies his skill, one minute muscular and passionate, the next, delicate and melodic.
Although he has huge crossover appeal and can handle any musical style, from blues to funk, jazz is clearly at the heart of what he and his band does although he pushes the boundaries beyond the standards with his own accomplished songwriting.
The soulfulness of his voice comes to the fore on 'Hey Laura', a tale of thwarted love that has the audience singing along. Porter peppers his performance with humorous asides balanced well with philosophical rumination, at one point referring to the literal and metaphorical storm raging outside and how it’s important to raise your voice in support of those suffering all over the world. 'No Love Dying' is a life-affirming number delivered with passion and rising to a gospel-tinged crescendo. As the audience joins in again, it’s safe to say that there’s no shortage of love in the room for Porter and his band.
'Take Me to the Alley' is a powerful reminder of how we must never lose our humanity, conveyed with stirring empathy by Porter. There are numerous musical allusions throughout the night acknowledging the black performers that paved the way, from Marvin Gaye to Bob Marley to The Temptations.
Finishing with a joyous encore of 'You Can Join My Band', he exits the stage, leaving his band to soak in the applause and appreciation of the audience who are still humming as they leave the auditorium. A class act in every sense of the word.
