The headliners of the 31st Istanbul Jazz Festival, to be held between July 3 and 18, will be Gregory Porter and Chris Isaak. Early-bird tickets for Porter and Isaak will be on general sale at Passo on Jan. 19. Grammy-winning Porter and his “jazz hat” will be back in Istanbul on July 8 this year.
Jazz vocalist and songwriter Porter embarked on his musical voyage through the songs of Nat King Cole. He became famous with his song “1960 What” from his 2010 album “Water,” honoring Martin Luther King.
He received the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album twice: In 2014 with “Liquid Spirit,” the most streamed jazz album in history, and in 2017 with “Take Me to the Alley.”
His distinct style that mixes country, gospel and blues along with jazz, R&B and funk is often cited to have revived jazz. His success lies in his velvety baritone voice and soulful lyrics that stem from personal experiences – all of which, in his hands, turn into a musical healing. Porter will play in Istanbul on July 8 at Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater.
Best-known for his breakthrough hits “Wicked Game,” “Blue Hotel” and “Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing,” Isaak has performed to sold-out crowds across the globe with his longtime band Silvertone. Over the course of his nearly forty-year career, he has packed two Grammy nominations, a platinum record, thirteen critically acclaimed studio albums, twelve chart-topping singles along with several motion pictures.
Thirty-five years after the release of “Heart Shaped World,” Isaak remains timeless and eloquent on the darkness of our souls. Despite the comparisons often made to Elvis Presley, his heartbroken and serene music, and the film noir-like atmosphere he evokes earned him a pedestal all of his own in the history of rock and roll.
The world-renowned artist’s first-ever performance in Istanbul for the 31st Istanbul Jazz Festival will be held at Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater on July 12.
