Sunday Night in the Park with Gregory Porter ...

Gregory Porter performing at Moseley Park at the Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival 2015.

I have seldom been more excited about a live performance than before witnessing GREGORY PORTER on the final day of the Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival, in Moseley Park & Pool in Birmingham.

Sunday morning was a real damp squib, with almost continuous rain. Thankfully when I arrived just after midday the rain relented and the rest of the day was a stunner and that was just the weather!

A great afternoon of live music followed, the pick of the bunch for me was THE JAMES HUNTER SIX who's authentic toe-tapping R&B styled tunes really got the party going.

The James Hunter Six at the Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival in Birmingham. 

Of course I was there for GP and his band, so at almost exactly 9pm exactly Gregory's stalwart studio and tour quartet came on stage, minus for the time being the great man. The band started playing the opening track 'PAINTED ON CANVAS' from his second album 'BE GOOD' and it wasn't long before Gregory himself stepped on stage to rapturous applause. What followed was probably one of the finest live performances I think I ever seen. 

I'm going to be upfront at this point and say I was already a big fan of his music since I became aware of him after the release of his second album in 2012. When I read that he was brought up listening to the music of the my other favourite baritone Nat 'King' Cole, I knew I would become a fan. The tricky thing here was, after listening to his three albums many, many times as well as his numerous collaborations, could he possibly live up to my expectations ... I needn't have worried!

The Gregory Porter quintet at their soulful best.

His hour and a half set was truly effortless, the band were, to a man superb. Before we go into the concert details, let's give them all name check ...

On piano was CHIP CRAWFORD, himself a Grammy Award Winner. Apparently he met GP when he was performing at a jam session at the famous St. Nicks Pub in Harlem, one of the most historical live jazz houses in New York. He has travelled the world with him ever since. He is very much part of GP's sound, arranging much of his output. He had his chance to shine several times on the night and shine he did.

The only member of the band who was not part of the usual line up was bass player JAHMAL NICHOLS. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he has some 20 years of experience as a bassist, composer, arranger and producer. I have to admit when the band were setting up for a brief moment I though GP had sneaked on stage in disguise! From what I've seen on-line he can certainly slap a mean electric bass too, tonight the double bass was his weapon of choice. Regular bassist AARON JAMES is quite an act to follow but Jahmal was certainly up to the task. What a sound he produced, quietly going about his business, keeping that rhythm bouncing all through the set.

Going around the stage in clockwise direction, next up was drummer EMANUEL HARROLD. To say Emanuel has music coursing through his veins would be an under statement. He has an extraordinarily rich musical heritage spanning generations. In the 1940's & 50's in America, Emanuel's grandfather Frank Harrold Sr. & siblings travelled as singers and won competitions with Diana Ross's uncle C.Q. Ross in New York and all over America. His grandmother Rose Evers was a home town/mid-west great talent and Gospel Recording Artist in his home-town of St. Louis. On the night he took centre stage several times, showing dazzling speed and dexterity required to play GP's music. On certain songs he also displayed beautiful subtlety also.

Last but certainly not least was Japanese, Alto Sax, Flute and Clarinet player YOSUKE SATO. Yosuke was born in Tokyo, began to play jazz guitar at high school age and changed his main instrument into trumpet at university. After he graduated he began to play alto saxophone and after several years started to perform as a professional musician in Japan. He moved to New York in 2008, being discovered by trumpeter MELVIN VINES he joined his band 'HARLEM JAZZ MACHINE' as a regular saxophonist. So like GP's pianist and arranger Chip Crawford he too was now playing at the famous St. Nicks Pub. From there Yosuke went on to play on GP's first CD release 'WATER', the rest as they say is history. On the night he certainly enjoyed the most opportunities for solos such is the nature of the music. The festival crowd showed their appreciation for Yosuke after each and every one of his mini masterpieces. Watching the man at work, I was convinced he possessed a set of gills rather than lungs, such was his quite staggering breath control!

Back to the actual concert now ... The first half an hour consisted of songs from his second and third albums, the aforementioned 'BE GOOD' and the Grammy Award-Winning 'LIQUID SPIRIT'. No fillers here, just great song after great song, including 'On My Way To Harlem', 'No Love Dying and 'Musical Genocide'.

Some artists are not great 'in-between' songs when they try and chat to an audience, not GP. He seemed very relaxed, going on to say;

"There is a good spirit in this park, you know this ain't nothing but a church ... of another kind."

Without a doubt the Blues spirit was evident in the park on Sunday night.

Chip Crawford, Gregory Porter and Jahmal Nichols listening to yet another wonderful solo sax piece from Yosuke Sato.

The next hour went astonishingly quick (always a good sign) and before we knew it GP had taken us on a most wonderful musical tour de force. Highlights for me were 'HEY LAURA', which proved somewhat of surprise a sing-a-long number, 'WORK SONG' with a smattering of 'THE IN CROWD' mixed in for good measure. There was also an incredibly emotional rendition of 'WATER UNDER BRIDGES', anyone who has ever suffered a broken heart could not have failed to be moved by GP's heartfelt vocals. The audience needed no encouragement to join in the call and response sections in songs such as 'LIQUID SPIRIT' and the Martin Luther King inspired '1960 WHAT?', the only song included from GP's first album 'WATER'. At 10.25pm, with almost military precision, GP thanked us for being a wonderful audience, he and his band disappeared briefly before returning for the inevitable encore. The single song choice to close 2015's Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival was 'REAL GOOD HANDS' from 'BE GOOD', a personal favourite of mine.  Five more minutes of GP's velvety tones and then we had to bid him goodbye, for the time being anyway. I have just booked tickets for myself and my family to see GP next year at the Royal Albert Hall, it's not a risk at all ... they'll LOVE HIM! It'll be a different type of concert for sure, can't wait to see him again, this time on a much bigger stage.

The friend I went to the festival with have often mused over what it must have been like to see Barry White live at the height of his powers, perhaps we might just have experienced a second coming last Sunday night?!

I'll sign off by issuing a challenge to you ... name me any other artists around at the moment who can touch Gregory Porter. Answers on postcard ;o)