Liquid Spirit
Liquid Spirit is the third studio album by American jazz musician Gregory Porter. It was released through Blue Note Records on September 2, 2013.[11] The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2014.[12][13] The record also produced six singles.
Liquid Spirit
Critical reception[edit]
John Fordham of The Guardian stated 'It's a better balanced Porter album than formerly, and as classily polished and confident as is usual from Blue Note."[7] Will Layman of PopMatters commented "Gregory Porter is now flat-out in the jazz spotlight. Where he deserves to be. What that means, commercially, in 2013 may be limited. But now that he is recording for the art form's marquis label, Porter has the chance to change the art, to enrich the audience, to sing from a higher mountaintop. Liquid Spirit is a beautiful extension of that clarion cry."[9] Thom Jurek of AllMusic added "While his first two recordings revealed a major new talent with their promise, Liquid Spirit is a giant step forward artistically, and for the listener, an exercise in musical inspiration."[1] The Independent's Phil Johnson noted "The soulful vocalist follows his two excellent indie albums with a major-label debut that contains few surprises yet deepens the story so far".[14] Mike Hobart of Financial Times wrote "Gregory Porter ’s largely self-penned major label debut is an artful and free-spirited blend of love songs, social commentary and reflections on life... The lyrics are heart-on-sleeve, and occasionally odd, but Porter's rich baritone oozes confidence and brings each syllable life".[5]
Commercial reception[edit]
The album entered the US Billboard 200 at No. 192 with around 3,000 copies sold, and peaked at No. 187 on the chart.[15] It peaked at No. 2 on Jazz Albums.[16] The album has sold 43,000 copies in the US as of April 2016.[17]
In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at No. 9 in the chart,[18] and it was certified Platinum by the BPI on July 8, 2016.[19]