An artist whose music is at once timeless yet utterly of its time, Gregory Porter solidifies his standing as his generation’s most soulful jazz singer-songwriter with the May 2016 release of Take Me to the Alley, the much-anticipated follow-up to his million-selling Grammy-winning 2013 Blue Note debut Liquid Spirit.

In the Fall of 2015 Porter finally found the time to return to the studio in New York City to record Take Me To The Alley. As he’s done on his previous three albums, Porter teamed up with producer Kamau Kenyatta to craft a 12-track collection of stirring originals that juxtapose the personal and political.

Reinforcing their well-honed rapport is the return of Porter’s core accompanying musicians – pianist and music director Chip Crawford, bassist Aaron James, drummer Emanuel Harrold, alto saxophonist Yosuke Sato, and tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott. Singer Alicia Olatuja, trumpeter Keyon Harrold, and organist Ondrej Pivec also make appearances throughout.

The coolest guy in music, the album features a reworked version of “Holding On,” the track Gregory Porter co-wrote with electronic act Disclosure, as well as autobiographical songs including “Don’t Lose Your Steam” and title track “Take Me To The Alley,” both written with his family in mind.