Jazz singer Gregory Porter returns to Scottsdale

Celebrated jazz vocalist Gregory Porter returns to Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 9.

His “bone-deep baritone,” is likened to “a hug from above,” according to a press release describing Porter who has received lots of Grammy nominations, including two wins in the past decade for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Porter’s recent studio release is the Grammy-nominated, “All Rise,” marking a return to original songwriting following the singer’s 2017 Nat King Cole tribute. “All Rise” features lyrics imbued with everyday philosophy and real-life detail, set to a mix of jazz, soul, blues and gospel.

“The first time I heard Gregory Porter was in a rather inconspicuous setting: in a hotel bar in midtown Manhattan, at a conference,” said Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO of Scottsdale Arts, in the release.

“His label had set up a showcase for their new artists. I was chatting with agents, barely paying attention to the lineup of performers rotating across the stage. Then Gregory started singing and I dropped my glass, stopped talking and perked up my ears. And literally everyone in the bar did the same! It was an incredible moment — when you hear something truly extraordinary for the first time, and everyone in the room is pulled into its spell.”

The Grammy star is one of eight siblings raised by a minister mother in a poor part of Bakersfield, California. He is said to have found his voice by singing in church and studying his mother’s Nat King Cole records at home.

“There’s his honesty of expression, creating a deeply moving and profound emotional connection—and, of course, his magnificent, sonorous baritone voice,” Wuestemann said.

“Gregory defies categories. Yeah, he’s a jazz singer, but he’s just as much a blues and R&B artist. Growing up in Bakersfield, there’s even a whiff of the Bakersfield sound swirling through his music — remnants of Merle Haggard and honky tonks.”

Porter had an acclaimed role in the original 1999 Broadway cast of “It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues.” He staged his own “Nat King Cole & Me” musical in 2004, the release said.

Both his early indie albums — 2010’s “Water” and 2012’s “Be Good” — received Grammy nominations and paved the way for his world-beating 2013 Blue Note debut, “Liquid Spirit,” which won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Then, 2016’s “Take Me to the Alley” took home another win.

Hear the Grammy-winning baritone 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale. Tickets start at $45, noted the release.

Guests ages 12 and older must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test, taken within 72 hours of the performance date, along with photo ID to attend performances; or provide proof of full vaccination. Masks are highly encouraged to protect artist, staff and patrons.

For information, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org/events or call 480-499-TKTS (8587).

For full health and safety protocals, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org/covid-19-reponse.