The inexorable rise of singer Gregory Porter continues. Hearing songs from his new release Be Good during this four-night season confirmed it to be a new classic of vocal jazz.

Heard on Be Good as a kind of closing, valedictory a cappella hymn, ‘God Bless the Child’ was transformed here into a soulful mid-tempo groove with Porter’s scatted coda offering a taste of the musical riches that awaited us. With deluxe phrasing, a notable use of his upper register and an even more euphoric feel to the choruses, ‘On My Way To Harlem’ held the entire space in a trance, while the title track (and debut single) reminded us that Porter’s biggest influence – his mother – was both minister and poet. As it curled its way upwards, Porter’s control of the vocal line in ‘Real Good Hands’ demonstrated his absolutely flawless intonation.

For the first time in the UK, the singer was accompanied by his regular New York band of pianist Chip Crawford, alto saxist Yosuke Sato, bassist Aaron James and drummer Emanuel Harrold. Both in terms of his commanding (and occasionally out-there) soloing and his evident rapport with the singer, Crawford was the key presence, bringing impressionistic touches to ‘Water’ and real heft to ‘The Way You Want To Live’.

But it was the heartbreaking autobiographical openness of ‘Mother’s Song’ which delivered the evening’s emotional motherload and left more than one person dabbing their eyes. Following a rapturous standing ovation for a storming ‘1960 What?’, the beautiful conversational flow of ‘Illusion’ (from Water) provided the perfect encore.

– Peter Quinn

Read more on last night’s closing show on the Jazzwise live blog www.jazzwisemagazine.com/live-jazz-blog