Name: Be Good
Brand: Gregory Porter

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

MTM3796

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2020-01-31

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

PIAS

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

885150337967

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Total Cap

Black LPx2

MTM0075

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2012-03-05

181212000757

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1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Gregory Porter

Genre GB

Jazz

Label GB

Motema

Gregory Porter is an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actor. Born in 1971 in Sacramento, CA and raised in Bakersfield, CA, he currently resides in New York City, USA.
With his rich baritone voice and soulful delivery, Porter has captivated audiences worldwide. His unique blend of jazz, gospel, blues, and soul influences creates a sound that is both timeless and contemporary.
Porter's talent has earned him numerous accolades including Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. He continues to push the boundaries of jazz music with his powerful performances and heartfelt lyrics.

Motema is a US label imprint of Motéma Music, specializing in bringing the best of jazz and world music to audiences worldwide. With a diverse roster of talented *artists* and *performers*, Motema has established itself as a prominent force in the music industry.
Since its inception, Motema has been dedicated to showcasing innovative and boundary-pushing music that pushes the boundaries of traditional genres. The label prides itself on its commitment to artistic integrity and supporting artists who are passionate about their craft.
With an impressive catalog spanning various styles and cultures, Motema offers a unique listening experience for music enthusiasts seeking something beyond the mainstream. Whether you're a fan of jazz, world music, or simply appreciate exceptional talent, Motema is sure to have something that will captivate your ears.

Californian-born New Yorker Gregory Porter shot to fame with his debut album, Water, in 2010, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal in the process. This follow-up comes with high expectations, but fans of authentically soulful vocals and luxuriant horn-heavy arrangements need not worry, Porter has, in a word, nailed it.

Porter’s voice is a marvel: a warm, assured tenor with precise, impeccable intonation, completely at home in classy originals that – like all good jazz – seem to bathe in timeless familiarity. On Painted on Canvas, Porter’s delivery is imbued with some of Donny Hathaway’s earnest wistfulness, while the title-track feels so much like a standard from the Great American Songbook that it’s a cinch to imagine it cropping up in a Sammy Davis Jr TV special between The Candy Man and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head – and it comes as no surprise to learn that Porter is a veteran of musical theatre.

Yet, despite these stylings, Porter clearly sees his work as part of a jazz lineage – as driven home in the breezily up-tempo optimism of On My Way to Harlem with its Duke Ellington name-check and Porter’s claim of “I was baptized by a jazzman’s horn”. It’s a sentiment that benefits from the genuine jazz chops laid down by an acoustic band built around pianist Chip Crawford – who isn’t afraid to take his solos out beyond obvious melodic territory – and saxophonist/arranger Kamau Kenyatta, whose solos are a little more honeyed.

There’s a sense of sumptuous comfort about much of the album – and not just in the arrangements. Porter’s lyrics, too, seem to come from a place of great emotional strength: Real Good Hands is a respectful marriage proposal (complete with cornball 70s-style spoken introduction) and Mother’s Song is a gospelised paean to family values. In fact, towards the middle of this (quite long) album it’s all so wholesome and smooth that it’s a little like lingering too long in a hot bath and nodding off into steamy, contented slumber.

Be Good

Music GB

Buy Gregory Porter - Be Good (Vinyl, CD) now from Rough Trade - independent purveyors of great music, since 1976.