.jpg "Gregory Porter & Ondřej Pivec & Chip Crawford")
Gregory Porter gives you just what you'd expect from a jazz singer, songwriter, actor, and poet, along with a certain, almost indefinable 'something extra.' You'll recognise him by his trademark cap, which he never removes and which lends him an air of mystery. It doesn't matter where he performs – in a New York club, a Brooklyn church, or an opulent concert hall in a European metropolis – Porter's mix of self-penned songs and carefully-selected standards from jazz, soul, gospel, and R&B always brings excitement and causes a stir.
Czech Hammond organist Ondřej Pivec is now a stalwart of Porter's band. And it was the Strings of Autumn founder Marek Vrabec who first had the idea of bringing these two artists together, something he made happen back in 2013 for the festival's Spring gala concert. The Czech organist so impressed Porter that the singer decided to keep their collaboration going: Pivec played on Porter's Grammy-winning album Take Me to the Alley and became a permanent member of his touring band. Now the pair return to Strings of Autumn for a special concert in a uniquely intimate set-up. It would be hard to imagine a more stylish way to round off this 25th anniversary year of the festival.