PORTER GREGORY – CHRISTMAS WISH LP

Opis

With his usual class and elegance, Gregory Porter has announced the release of his first holiday album on Friday, November 3, 2023 via Blue Note/Decca Records.
Entitled Christmas Wish, the album is a loving tribute to his favorite season and to a host of great songwriters, vocalists, and interpreters, including Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Dinah Washington, and Nat King Cole. Porter himself has added three of his own original compositions to the holiday lineup, which are destined to become favorite holiday tunes soon.

Recorded with trusted musicians and produced by frequent collaborator Troy Miller, and featuring the Abbey Road Orchestra, the album features Porter’s own interpretations of carols, jazz standards and 1960s holiday tunes, including “Silent Night,” “Little Drummer Boy,” Marvin Gaye’s “Purple Snowflakes,” Stevie Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas” and Frank Loesser’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”, featuring Grammy Award winner Samara Joy.

Themes of sharing, caring for one another, renewal and rebirth during Christmas are embodied in Porter’s most personal contribution yet – three new compositions: “Christmas Wish,” “Heart For Christmas” and “Everything’s Not Lost.” The latter is an elegant ballad that is Porter’s plea to remember those less fortunate in life than we are. “I always think about balance,” he explains. “That’s something that’s instilled in me and it’s a constant in a lot of my music. In the best moment, in the happiest moment, don’t forget about the other people who are suffering.”

Christmas Wish was recorded between Sear Sound Studio in New York and Crossways Studio in London with friend and longtime pianist Gregory Porter, Chip Crawford on piano, Emmanuel Harrold on drums, Gregoire Maret on harmonica, Jahmal Nichols on bass, Ondre Pivec on Hammond organ and Tivon Pennicott on flute and soprano/tenor saxophone. Backing vocals by Stephanie Fisher-Alvarenga, Chris Ashley Anthony and Sheherazade Holman. Recorded with the Kingdom Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London.