Gregory Porter with Matt Skellenger Group at Denver Botanic Gardens

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Gregory Porter was raised in Bakersfield, California and cites the Bakersfield Southern Gospel sound, as well as his mother’s Nat King Cole record collection, as fundamental influences on his own sound. Porter began singing in jazz clubs in San Diego while attending San Diego State University on a football scholarship. Eventually, Porter moved to New York City to pursue music full-time, and his career began to ascend with the release of his first two albums—Water (2010) and Be Good (2012)—both of which received Grammy nominations. In 2013, he released his breakout Blue Note debut Liquid Spirit which grew into a global phenomenon, selling more than a million albums and earning Porter his first Grammy Award with NPR declaring him “America’s Next Great Jazz Singer.” His 2016 follow-up Take Me To The Alley won Porter his second Grammy Award and firmly established him as his generation’s most soulful jazz artist.

Born and raised in Denver, Matt Skellenger has been composing, performing, recording, and teaching in Colorado for 33 years. Matt earned a B.A. in Music from Metro State University in 2002 where he studied with the great Ron Miles. Ron was an original member of Skellenger’s group from 2006-2014. This one-of-a-kind quartet performs Matt’s original music. The music blends jazz, world, funk, rock, and fusion influences to create a sound unlike anything you have heard.