Issues of Life (Features & Remixes)

Issues of Life (Features & Remixes)

As the great ancient Greek tragedian Euripides said ''One can judge a man by the company he keeps''. That statement surely rings true for Gregory Porter. Born in 1971 in Los Angeles, California, and raised in nearby Bakersfield by his Minister mother, Porter is one of the most talked about male vocalists of the present day. In the four years since the release of his debut album, ''Water'', on the Harlem based Motéma label, the former football champ (who also worked as a performer in musicals and as a short-order cook) has received two Grammy nominations (winning Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2014), garnered a multitude of enthusiastic reviews, gained millions of fans all over the world and, last but not least, earned wholehearted respect from his peers. Hailed by Downbeat magazine as ''The Soul Poet'' on their front cover in October 2013, Porter has received encouragement and praise from musical icons such as Quincy Jones, Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock and even Stevie Wonder, who appeared as a guest with Porter at festivals around Europe throughout the summer of 2014.<BR> Not one to rest on his laurels, the man in the trademark ''magic cap'' maintains a busy touring schedule and continues to share his talent with other performers and bands. Some of the most impressive results of Gregory Porter's so called ''features'' are presented on this CD. They range from a fantastic interpretation of Bobby Timmons' ''Moanin''', recorded in 2012 with the Austrian trombonist Paul Zauner and his ''Blue Brass'', via contributions to the latest album by saxophonist David Murray's Infinity Quartet; a star-studded tribute to the music of Gil Scott- Heron and Brian Jackson; on to the Zbonics, a Soul-Jazz collective led by drummer Zak Najor, with whom Porter recorded some of his first studio sessions in San Diego, including ''Issues Of Life'', the title track of this album. Throw in the acclaimed Opolopo remix of Porter's biggest hit ''1960 What?'', plus a few never before released edits and remixes, and you have some prime examples of the incredible range and depth of Porter's gifts. One thing is for sure: Gregory Porter is here to stay, according to another quote by Euripides:<BR> ''wealth stays with us a little moment if at all: only our characters are steadfast, not our gold.''