The Soul-stirring singer, Gregory Porter released his first-ever Christmas album “Christmas Wish” last Friday the 3rd of November. The heart-warming, jazz-infused album features 12 tracks and was released via Blue Note/Decca Records.
The album features three original songs by the Grammy award-winning jazz and soul performer as well as jazz-age standards and soulful tracks from the 1960s. He mentions “In my writing, there are elements of Bill Withers, there is a song from Stevie Wonder..from Marvin Gaye”. There is also a guest performance from the American, Grammy-winning Samara Joy on Broadway songwriter Frank Loesser’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”.
Listen to the album here
Following his summer stint playing three sold-out shows at “London’s Most Iconic Venue”, Royal Albert Hall this June, the singer is returning for a fourth and final performance of the year on December 13th – get tickets here (There is only standing availability on offer now). The London show will be part of his current winter tour in both the UK and internationally.
Described as “a jazz singer of thrilling presence, a booming baritone with a gift for earthy refinement and soaring uplift”, Gregory Porter has become known for many things: his outstanding voice, his ability to bring audiences to joyful tears and ‘lo and behold’ his hat, which he wears every time he performs.
Porter responded to curiosity about the hat, stating ‘I’ve had some surgery on my skin, so this has been my look for a little while and will continue to be for a while longer. People recognise me by it now. It is what it is.”
Years later he added that it has become his style. He thought “Actually, this is comfortable, this is a look. I started to sing and people were like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the guy with the hat.’ So it became a thing.” However, the vocalist reported that he would like his fans to focus on “his heart and sound” rather than the accessory.
Porter was on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ earlier today, speaking of his first-ever festive album and also joining in some festive cooking. Whilst getting into the Christmas spirit, he showed viewers how he makes his family’s festive favourites, sweet potato pie with crumbly shortcrust pastry.
Ex-Saturday’s singer and presenter Rochelle Humes questioned him on why he hasn’t put out a Christmas album before. Jestingly, he replied, “I wanted to start my career off with a Christmas album and they didn’t let me!…so now is the time”. He talked about elements of influence on him and his sound “Stylistically I’m using gospel, blues, soul to tell the Christmas story”
Then on his mum’s influence, the woman who taught him how to sing, he says “There were 8 of us, 5 boys and 3 girls, she would cook food… Turkey, greens… sweet potato pie… filled the table with food. We thought we were gonna eat and we loaded it into the truck and we went around and fed the homeless people” “Then we brought the food back and we ate the leftovers…..she was teaching… she did it from her heart..that’s the kind of thing you do on Christmas day”.
