MY SIX BEST ALBUMS
GREGORY PORTER, 45, is the winner of two Grammy awards for his jazz albums Liquid Spirit and Take Me To The Alley which both made the Top 10 in the UK album charts. He plays the Cheltenham Jazz Festival on May 1. cheltenhamjazzfestivals.com/jazz/ NAT KING COLE: After Midnight (Capitol/EMI) When I was five or six, I got into my mother’s records. She said I sounded like Nat so I had to find out who this person was. Nat was one of those special artists: an extremely gifted jazz pianist, vocalist and communicator but serious on all levels. His approach to the music has been influential. MARVIN GAYE: What’s Going On (Motown) There’s a bit of political thought in this but it’s so damn groovy at the same time which is what I like.
Gaye was a genius at saying something mind-opening but where you would still want to listen every day while enjoying a bourbon. BILL WITHERS: Still Bill (Sony) I like how his music is so approachable and soulful with eloquent poetry. He’s an extension of an earlier time of blues men. His musical expression is political and personal. He made me think of love songs in a different way, not just “ooh baby baby”. He wrote the best friendship song in Lean On Me. MAX ROACH: We Insist! (Candid) I love Roach’s playing on drums but mostly the emotional depth of Abbey Lincoln’s vocals. This makes a political statement and expresses humanity and desire. It says we insist on equality – a valuable thing to say. STEVIE WONDER: Fulfillingness’ First Finale (Motown) Stevie has a supernatural insight into emotion and nature. There are beautiful love songs on this. The vulnerability of Too Shy To Say is haunting. His music was the fabric of my childhood and now we’re friends, which is surreal. SARAH VAUGHAN: Copacabana (Decca) She went to Brazil and there are some different rhythms on this. As a mature woman at this time, her voice was richer but she shows such restraint on the ballads.
You know she has all this gasoline to burn but she doesn’t. It’s powerful. It is late-night music but I like to be put in that mood in the morning!