01:04 Gregory Porter reveals that he identifies as a jazz singer, considering various genres cousins under one roof 02:14 Porter explains that his music is personal, and that he came to it originally as a method of self-protection, and putting people at ease, which was sadly necessary as a large person of color 05:07 Porter describes how he passively pursued Lalah Hathaway, a collaborator, for years. He explains that collaborations can be logistically tricky 06:14 Porter cites “Ain’t Nothing But The Blues” as the first important show he was involved with on the theater circuit, citing how important it was for him to gain some musical historical insights. He elaborates, explaining that he had gotten a lot of history through his upbringing and the various musical styles he encountered at church, but hadn’t been aware of it as such 09:57 Porter discusses what drew him to the work of Nat King Cole, explaining how he served as a sort of father figure who he was drawn to initially, before knowing who he was, by his mother telling him they sounded alike. He describes himself as having “self-medicated” with his music 12:53 Porter explains how he feels his mother’s encouragement and enthusiasms partly landed him at the likes of Royal Albert Hall, where he did indeed play for royalty, after years of predictions 14:55 Porter describes his thinking behind the lyrics to “Brown Grass” 16:06 Porter disabuses the notion that he’s a Leo, and explains that “Be Good” discusses masculine vulnerability, which he considers crucial, if difficult to attain and maintain 17:40 Porter clarifies the meaning of “Hey Laura,” which isn’t quite as literal as it may sound 18:41 Porter explains how a drummer helped clarify for him that he’s allowed to play his songs as he wants, which sometimes leads to multiple versions, as with “Water Under Bridges,” which he cites as the song he’s most proud of 20:47 Porter describes the motivation behind “1960 What?,” which he intended to draw attention to the fact of tragic history repeating itself. He explains that his motivation with music is always expressing love and healing, even if discussing difficult issues 22:27 Porter tells the story behind “Take Me To The Alley,” how his mother arranged his first performances to happen for people who were down and out in Bakersfield, where he grew up 23:33 Porter explains that he’s open to a wide variety of collaborators, primarily being interested in keeping to what he considers his lane, of conveying positive messages 25:50 Porter describes his musical motivation, explaining that he’s aware of music’s power through what Nat King Cole’s music did to him as a child, and that that feeling is what he hopes to provide to his audience 26:49 Porter explains how he does see his music as a message, containing his Christian principles, but consistently sees it translate widely, as they’re common principles 29:00 Porter explores his habit of moving his hands while singing, explaining that he needs them expressively, a habit he may have picked up from his mother 30:27 Porter relates having beaten the members of what would become Korn at a high school talent show, ‘by default,’ due to their flipping off the audience 32:30 Porter attributes his tendency to deviate from the melody to having learned from jazz singers and instrumentalists, and his desire to be an instrument 34:24 Porter explains how the way he wears his hat was influenced by a fan at the Apollo Theater 35:51 Porter says he’s considering putting a recorded version of “Probably Me” on his next album, and explains how Sting kindly cursed him out after his performance of it 37:21 Porter describes how the Laws family has been crucial to his career, citing Hubert’s interest in him as a major boost he required 39:54 Porter reveals that he has a new album of original music in the works 40:25 Recording: “L-O-V-E” 41:33 Porter discusses the motivation and challenges of recording songs iconic to another artist, such as Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E”; describes how record label employees try to influence albums as they’re being made, and the possible benefits of remixes 45:01 Porter explains that record labels have a release schedule, and his plan to ignore the label’s advice and record and release a back catalogue. He laments that recording artists don’t always have time to hold onto recordings long enough to woo people with them, and emphasizes the importance of the world market 47:45 Recording: “Miss Otis Regrets” 47:54 Interview ends