Gregory Porter

★★★ Still Rising

BLUE NOTE/DECCA. CD/DL

The jazz cat in the hat’s story so far. Plus five new songs.

Porter’s ascent to fame has been meteoric. A decade ago, he had one album to his name and was largely unknown outside of the US jazz community. That quickly changed in 2013 when his major label debut, Liquid Spirit, catapulted him into the mainstream. Though Porter’s branched out by hosting podcasts and TV cookery shows, this double-disc anthology reminds us that his true calling is music. In addition to being blessed with a richly expressive baritone voice, he’s a skilled songwriter who makes perceptive observations about love and life. Whether he’s delivering poetic ballads (Hey Laura) or incendiary protest songs (1960 What?), Porter always invests his performances with a soulful authenticity. While the excellent first disc is essential (it features five new songs including Dry Bones, an infectious dance anthem bristling with a sanctified fervour), the second, devoted to duets (some with dead pop stars, like Buddy Holly), is wholly surplus to requirements.Charles Waring