Tweet It! Two-time Grammy winner @GregoryPorter, the most soulful jazz singer-songwriter of his generation, brings his stunning vocals to the @KimmelCenter’s jazz season on 2/10! More info @ KimmelCenter.org
Press Contact: Lauren Woodard Jessica Christopher 215-790-5835 267-765-3738 [email protected] [email protected]
KIMMEL CENTER CULTURAL CAMPUS PRESENTS TWO-TIME GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING GREGORY PORTER, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
“Porter thrives using a unique style, an ever-changing vocal magnitude you simply have to hear to appreciate.” - PITCHFORK
“He possesses a soulful, R&B-meets-jazz voice, yet there is an Everyman aura about him” - THE TIMES
“The voice of the 21st Century” - DAILY STAR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, December 19, 2019) – Following a record-breaking release of his fifth studio album in 2017, the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus is proud to present two-time Grammy® Award-winning vocalist Gregory Porter in Verizon Hall on Monday, February 10, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Over the past decade, Porter, often described as the most soulful jazz singer-songwriter of his generation, has taken the jazz world by storm. His fifth studio album, the dazzling Nat “King” Cole & Me, is a heartfelt tribute to the legendary singer, pianist, and Capitol recording artist who influenced Porter’s life and music.
“Our 2019-20 jazz season is packed with unparalleled talent, with one award-winning virtuoso after another, from Jazzmeia Horn to Bria Skonberg to Wynton Marsalis,” said Anne Ewers, President and CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “Gregory Porter has a sound that is somehow both an ode to the jazz tradition and a triumph of the contemporary. Audiences across all backgrounds can appreciate his ability to meld the best of the past with a unique sound all his own.”
Known for his warm baritone vocals, Gregory Porter rose to acclaim in the 2010s with his earthy, cross- pollinated brand of jazz, soul, and gospel. A gifted singer of standards, as well as more contemporary soul material, Porter has earned favorable comparisons to his idols Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder. He announced his arrival by picking up a Grammy® nomination for his 2010 debut, Water. After signing to Blue Note, he gained even wider notice for his third album, 2013’s Liquid Spirit, which hit number two on the jazz charts and won the Grammy® for Best Jazz Vocal Album. It also became one of the most streamed jazz albums of all time, with over 20 million streams.
His second effort for Blue Note, Take Me to the Alley, was released in early 2016, and featured Porter’s own version of “Holding On,” a track he co-wrote and previously recorded with electronic act Disclosure. Take Me to the Alley broke records by becoming the first jazz album to break into the top 5 in over a decade. Also, in 2016, Porter delivered the concert album Live in Berlin.
In 2017, he released an album that paid tribute to the artist who had been most influential on his own music. Nat “King” Cole & Me featured Porter’s versions of some of Cole’s most treasured classics, including “Smile” and “Mona Lisa”.
Nat “King” Cole and Me hit number 3 on the Official UK Album Chart, landing him his highest-ever chart position and biggest-selling first week.
The concert album One Night Only: Live at the Royal Albert Hall arrived in 2018.
Other featured upcoming jazz performances at the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus include: Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra (March 14, 2020, SEI Innovation Studio), Jazzmeia Horn (March 14, 2020, Perelman Theater), Joanna Pascale: The Language of Flowers (April 25, 2020, SEI Innovation Studio), Bria Skonberg (May 9, 2020, Perelman Theater), and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (May 17, 2020, Academy of Music).
GREGORY PORTER Kimmel Center Cultural Campus’ Verizon Hall February 10, 2020, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets Tickets are on sale now starting at $29.00. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 215-790-5883. See www.kimmelcenter.org for more information.
The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1 million guests per year and includes the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater- representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially- responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region’s young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is our proud sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2019-2020 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit www.kimmelcenter.org.
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