Gregory Porter burst onto the scene suddenly in 2010, with his debut album Water. The album was immediately nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In February of this year he followed it up with Be Good, which, if anything, was even more highly acclaimed. Porter began his career in small jazz clubs in San Diego, but things moved up a notch when he sang on Hubert Laws' tribute to Nat King Cole. It was a home game: as a boy, Porter used to sing along to Nat King Cole records when his mother played them. In recent years, Porter has become especially popular in England and the rest of Europe with his vocals that explore jazz, gospel and soul. His breakthrough to a wider audience came with a performance on a radio jazz-program presented by Jamie Cullum and a BBC special with Carole King. Porter is being hailed as the new star of vocal jazz.
