Not since Kurt Elling has there been a singer in jazz who had such a brilliant start to his career as Gregory Porter. With "Water" (2010) and "Be Good" (2012), his first two critically acclaimed albums for the indie label Motéma Music, Porter immediately established himself as one of the best contemporary jazz singers. This was also underlined by the two Grammy nominations he received for these albums. Now he presents "Liquid Spirit", his eagerly awaited third solo album on the Blue Note label. And Blue Note president Don Was encouraged the singer to stay true to his unique artistic vision on the new label. "I definitely consider myself a jazz singer, but I love the blues, black Southern soul and gospel music no less," Porter defines himself. "Those elements always find their way into my music. And I've always noticed them in jazz, too." In recording "Liquid Spirit," the singer once again relied on the musicians who formed the core of his band on the previous two albums: Pianist Chip Crawford, who also serves as musical director, drummer Emanuel Harrold, bassist Aaron James, alto saxophonist Yosuke Sato and tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott. On some tracks, Porter joined trumpeter Curtis Taylor and organist Glenn Patscha in the band. The singer's old acquaintances also include producer Brian Bacchus and arranger and co-producer Kamau Kenyatta. "I didn't say to myself, 'Okay, now I'm on Blue Note Records, now I'm going to try to sound like Freddie Hubbard,'" Porter explains. I didn't set out with any particular plan for this album." He just wanted the album to sound as organic as it could. And he was sure that he could achieve this goal with a team that had been working together for years, rather than with a band made up of stars Porter has one of the most captivating and soulful baritone voices today. He manages to convey to you the emotion and spirit of every song imaginable without resorting to theatrical tricks. In the New York Times, critic Nate Chinen wrote, "Gregory Porter possesses most of what you want in a jazz singer, and maybe a few things you didn't even know you wanted." Porter's colleague Kurt Elling is also full of praise: "I'm very confident about Gregory Porter's career. He sounds wonderful and has a really great concept. I'm happy to hear him develop and see him get recognition and opportunities to spread his creative wings." Jazz diva Dee Dee Bridgewater praised Porter in the JazzTimes, saying, "We haven't had a singer like him in a long time. He's such a wonderful songwriter. He just tells great stories." And she's right about that. Porter does indeed possess an amazing talent for writing poignant songs based on personal experiences with a familiar-seeming and emotional directness. More than that, his catchy melodies immediately catch your ear. On "Liquid Spirit" Porter deals with similar themes as on his debut album "Water": the songs deal with romantic ups and downs, his childhood, and socio-political observations. In addition, he also interprets three classics here in his own unmistakable way: Dobie Gray's Motown hit "The 'In Crowd," "Lonesome Lover" by Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach, and the jazz standard "I Fall In Love Too Easily," penned by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. "I try to include on each album something from the people who have deeply influenced me. 'Lonesome Lover' is my declaration of love to Abbey Lincoln," Porter reveals Gregory Porter was born in 1971 in Bakersfield, Southern California, where he came into contact with gospel music at an early age through his mother, who held a church ministry. Another important influence on his musical development was his mother's extensive Nat King Cole record collection. Despite his love of music, Gregory, equipped with a football scholarship to San Diego State University, originally wanted to pursue a career in sports But a shoulder injury ended those plans prematurely. And so Porter - under the wing of his mentor Kamau Kenyatta - began to concentrate entirely on music When Kenyatta was producing flutist Hubert Laws' album "Remembers The Unforgettable Nat King Cole" in Los Angeles in 1998, he invited Porter, an ardent Nat King Cole fan, into the studio. There, Laws happened to hear him sing the Charlie Chaplin classic "Smile" and was so excited that he spontaneously asked him to join the recording sessions. Another happy coincidence was that Hubert Law's sister Eloise also stopped by the studio at the time and saw Porter in action. The singer was to take a role in the new musical "It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues" a short time later and recommended producer Gregory Porter for the male lead. After the Broadway premiere, the New York Times called the then-unknown Porter a "vocal powerhouse." The show was nominated for four Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards that same year Nevertheless, one had to wait a good ten years for Gregory Porter's first album "Water", which was then immediately nominated for a Grammy. His second album "Be Good", also nominated for a Grammy, was even more impressive in 2012. "Porter fuses jazz and soul better than any of his contemporary colleagues," said the US magazine Soul Tracks, naming "Be Good" in January as potentially the best album of the year Although Porter has now shared the stage or been in the recording studio with stars such as Van Morrison, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Nicola Conte and David Murray, he hasn't lost his grip on the ground. "I haven't really been able to process it all yet," he confesses. "Especially working with musical icons like Wynton and Herbie. They've welcomed me with such open arms. I wouldn't have expected that in my wildest dreams just two years ago." With the release of "Liquid Spirit", Gregory Porter should now be on his way to a new career high