Music / jazz

Nat "King" Cole & me


Reviews (6)


AllMusic

2017

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Matt Collar

2017

"While primarily known for his contemporary, genre-crossing style of jazz and R&B, Porter here leans nicely into a distinctly old-school sound. Mendoza frames the singer's warm, supple voice with shimmering orchestral arrangements that wouldn't be out of place during the golden age of '50s and early-'60s traditional pop. While never mimicking Cole's distinctive style, Porter manages to straddle the line between evincing the storied artist's burnished vocal sound, and displaying his own virtuoso talents".


The guardian

d. 26. Oct. 2017

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John Lewis

d. 26. Oct. 2017

"Gregory Porter has become jazz music's biggest crossover star in decades without appearing to compromise. He sings standards, references 1960s civil rights anthems and allows his heavyweight hard-bop band plenty of space to improvise - while becoming a fixture on teatime telly and the Radio 2 playlist. This collection of Nat King Cole songs, however, presumably aimed at the Christmas market, sees him go the full Bublé. Instead of concentrating on Cole's impressive jazz career - the 1940s piano/bass/guitar recordings on Capitol, the After Midnight album - here Vince Mendoza's cloying arrangements for a 70-piece orchestra pay homage to the string-drenched showbiz Cole with a fidelity that is largely pointless".


Politiken

d. 2. Nov. 2017

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Kim Skotte

d. 2. Nov. 2017

"Hvis Gregory Porter havde valgt at tage Nat King Cole ind i en anden slags natskygge i selskab med et listigt lille ensemble eller noget med kant og krudt, kunne resultatet være blevet mere interessant, men Porter har valgt den store, brede blanke motorvej, der hedder London Studio Orchestra under ledelse af albummets producer og arrangør Vince Mendoza, og som fører tilbage til en gennemført traditionel iscenesættelse af 1950'ernes smokingklædte verden ... Gregory Porter har en skøn stemme, man får masser af mulighed for at nyde, men som fortolker er han for respektfuld. Det er, når han synger sine egne sange, at stemmens bløde varme bliver en naturkraft i ny jazz".


Berlingske tidende

d. 15. Nov. 2017

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Kjeld Frandsen

d. 15. Nov. 2017

"Med den navnkundige producer, arrangør og dirigent Vince Mendoza som tovholder er der selvfølgelig tale om en flot produktion, som primært er med stort orkester, inklusive masser af strygere, og det klæder så absolut sangene med disse pompøse rammer. Til gengæld er det som om, Gregory Porter ikke rigtigt udfylder rammerne eller for alvor folder sig ud som Gregory Porter ... Interessant nok er Gregory Porters egen næsten otte minutter lange og dramatiske ballade »When Love Was King« albummets mest originale og fængende indslag. Men det er så også værd at nævne, at musikken swinger ganske herligt i »L-O-V-E«. der også rummer en flot solo fra trompetisten Terence Blanchard, og at Gregory Porter får noget rigtigt Gregory Porter i sin stemme, da han slutteligt fortolker »The Christmas Song«. Ja, så bliver det alligevel jul".


DownBeat

2018 January

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By

James Hale

2018 January


Jazz special

Nr. 159 (2018)

By

By

Benedicta Pécseli

Nr. 159 (2018)

"Gregory Porter svigter ved at ligge for tæt op ad sit forbillede og ved at overdosere [Nat King Coles] dyder".