At the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday night, Gregory Porter put in a claim to be the least cynical singer alive. Though wariness and doomsday thinking aren’t unreasonable in these times, the jazz singer’s first gig of three at the legendary venue this week presented an artist and a person determined to see the bright side, and to bring it out in others as well.
This two-hour performance was a masterclass in good vibes. Porter came across as an immensely likeable character, standing to the side and nodding appreciatively like a proud uncle when his excellent saxophonist was ripping another solo or the Kingdom Orchestra behind him kicked into gear. This also softened people up to his lyrics, which can sometimes come off as overly simplistic and sappy, but have an ultimate goodness in them that it’s wiser to believe in than scoff at.
