Gregory Porter was born in Sacramento and was raised in Bakersfield, California, where his mother was a minister. A 1989 graduate of Highland High School, he received a "full-ride" (tuition, books, medical coverage, and living expenses) athletic scholarship as a football lineman to San Diego State University (SDSU Aztecs), but a shoulder injury during his junior year cut short his football career.[3] At the age of 21, Porter lost his mother to cancer, but only after she entreated him from her death bed: "Sing, baby, sing!"
Porter moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 2004, along with his brother Lloyd. He worked as a chef at Lloyd's restaurant Bread-Stuy (now defunct), where he also performed. Porter performed at other neighborhood venues including Sista's Place and Solomon's Porch, and moved on to Harlem club St. Nick's Pub, where he maintained a weekly residency. Out of this residency evolved what would become Porter's touring band.[4]
Porter released two albums on the Motéma label together with Membran Entertainment Group, 2010's Water and 2012's Be Good, before signing with Blue Note Records (under Universal Music Group) on May 17, 2013. His third album, Liquid Spirit, was released on September 2, 2013, in Europe and on September 17, 2013, in the US.[5] The album was produced by Brian Bacchus.[6] The album won the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.[7]
Liquid Spirit enjoyed commercial success rarely achieved by albums in the jazz genre, reaching the top 10 on the UK album charts. It was certified gold by the BPI, selling over 100,000 units in the UK.[8]
In August 2014 Porter released "The 'In' Crowd" as a single.[9] On May 9, 2015 Porter participated in VE Day 70: A Party to Remember, a televised commemorative concert from Horse Guards Parade in London, singing "As Time Goes By".[10]
His fourth album, Take Me to the Alley, was released on May 6, 2016.[11] In UK's The Guardian it was Alexis Petridis's album of the week.[12]
On June 26, 2016, Porter performed on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 2016. Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick said, "The portly middle-aged jazzer may be the oddest pop star on the planet but he is a refreshing testament to the notion that the most important organ for musical appreciation should always be our ears. And Porter has one of the most easy-on-the-ear voices in popular music, a creamy baritone that flows thick and smooth across a rich gateaux of juicy melody. It's a voice that makes you want to lick your lips and dive right in."[13]
In September 2016 Porter performed at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park from Hyde Park, London. He would go on to perform in the annual BBC Children in Need show in November, a night dedicated to Sir Terry Wogan, who hosted it in previous years and was a fan of Porter.[14]
In January 2017 Porter performed the song "Holding On" on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show.[15] In September 2017 he performed as part of the Later... with Jools Holland: Later 25 concert at the Royal Albert Hall.[16]
In October 2017 he performed the song "Mona Lisa" on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show with Jeff Goldblum on piano.[17]
Painted On Canvas
Gregory Porter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're painted on canvases
Picking up shades as we go
We start off with gesso
Brushed on by people we know
Watch your technique as you go
Step back and admire my view
Can you use the colors I choose?
Can I get some greens and some blues?
We're made by the pigment of paint that is put upon
Our stories are told by our hues
Like Motley or Bearden
These masters of peace and life
Layers of colors and time
Step back and admire my view
Can I use the colors I choose?
Don't I have some say what you use?
Can't get some greens with my blues?
The lyrics of Gregory Porter's "Painted On Canvas" allude to the idea that we are all works of art, constantly being shaped by the people and experiences in our lives. We are like canvases that are painted on, picking up shades as we go. The metaphor is one of growth and maturation, as we start off with gesso, a substance used to prepare a canvas for painting. The people we know brush this on, laying the foundations for who we will become. As we go through life, we add more colors and layers, building upon what has come before.
The song also touches on the idea of agency and control, as the singer questions whether he has a say in the colors that are used on him. He asks if he can get some greens and blues, suggesting that he wants more variety and vibrancy in his life. He also references Motley and Bearden, two African American artists known for their use of color, suggesting that his own story is being told through his hues.
Overall, "Painted On Canvas" is a reflective and deeply introspective song about identity, growth, and the ways in which we are shaped by the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
We are like children
We are innocent and curious, unaware of the world's harshness.
We're painted on canvases
Our lives are like artworks with multiple facets to discover.
Picking up shades as we go
We experience life and learn from each of its shades or stages.
We start off with gesso
We all have a common starting point of basic form, with nothing added.
Brushed on by people we know
Our first layer may be influenced by the people in our lives, giving us support or guidance.
Watch your technique as you go
Pay attention to how you build yourself up and how it affects others.
Step back and admire my view
Take a step back and appreciate how far you've come, and what you've become.
Can you use the colors I choose?
Can others empathize with your life choices, and understand why you're made the way you are?
Do I have some say what you use?
Do you have control over what factors mould you, or is it something out of your control?
Can I get some greens and some blues?
Can you find joy and calmness in your life?
We're made by the pigment of paint that is put upon
Our identity is shaped by the environment we are exposed to, and the experiences we have.
Our stories are told by our hues
Our life stories can be interpreted from the colours or phases we've gone through.
Like Motley or Bearden
Similar to the artworks of Motley or Bearden, we carry within us various phases and colours.
These masters of peace and life
These creative geniuses could bring peace and vividness of life to their art, and we can learn from them.
Layers of colors and time
Our life is a process of accumulating time and memories, and also layers of colours depicting experiences.
Can I use the colors I choose?
Do you have control over what colours or phases you go through, and can you choose them freely?
Don't I have some say what you use?
Do you have a say in what colours or phases external factors bring to your life?
Can't get some greens with my blues?
Can you have positive and negative experiences together, to create a well-rounded life?
Contributed by Mason B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@illuminatingskies2588
We are like children
We're painted on canvases
Picking up shades as we go
We start off with gesso
Brushed on by people we know
Watch your technique as you go
Step back and admire my view
Can you use the colors I choose?
Do I have some say what you use?
Can I get some greens and some blues?
We're made by the pigment of paint that is put upon
Our stories are told by our hues
Like Motley or Bearden
These masters of peace and life
Layers of colors and time
Step back and admire my view
Can I use the colors I choose?
Don't I have some say what you use?
Can't get some greens with my blues?
Google Play
@mpeshmtsweni955
This man is an amazing poet🔥
@veronicarickard7783
This song takes you to a calm and quite place, the instruments and the lyrics, just a beautiful song.
@angelaburnett5993
One of the most awesome and truest songs you'll ever hear. I absolutely love this song!!
@arthurldawson
Pure ART.......Gregory Porter is the real thing!
@matthewzarris9177
Love listening to how excited my seven-year-old twin boys get when I play this at bedtime and they can exuberantly sing along in their bunks!
Mr. Porter has that effect on all walks of life, I reckon.
😊
@GilPritchett
Bro. Porter...this song whew every time I come back to it which seems to happen when I am most truthful within myself....it just lays it out so simply and completely....thank you man....you are a gift from the most high...much love hear. Ase
@patmor.sounds
Just heard this 'piece of art' on NPR! Absotively, posolutely heavenly!!! Made my day!
@Heart2HeartBooks
What a voice...Lulls you to heaven! And who is tickling those ivories? Whew!
@gatsbyproctor7955
The only artist whose music makes my family including my 14 year-old brother smile
@BunnyWrightEllis
Gregory is a master of music, and it must be shared.