Gregory Porter: Live in Berlin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Gregory Porter: Live in Berlin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 17, 2016

Fans of pop and rock stars almost expect their favorites to have outsized personas and to dress outlandishly, at least during their live concerts. Think Madonna. Elton John. David Bowie. Lady Gaga. Cher. Jazz tends to be a little more “reserved”, shall we say, which is why some who aren’t familiar with Gregory Porter may wonder why in heaven’s name he’s gussied up in a weird pullover hat that makes him look for all the world like an adorable little teddy bear whose mother has dressed him up appropriately to go play in the snow. Porter’s distinctive haute (?) couture is part of at least his current image and stems from some skin deformity which required surgery and which the appealing soul inflected singer doesn’t feel at ease with being seen. Putting aside that perhaps outré element, Gregory Porter Live in Berlin finds the Grammy winner in fine voice, backed by a stellar band that includes Chip Crawford on piano, Tivon Pennicott on tenor sax, Jahmal Nichols on (acoustic) bass, and Emanuel Harrold on drums. About the only thing some fans may find to complain about is the decision to include some interstitial interview segments, some of which continue (via voiceover) over the actual music at times.

Porter’s set list includes the following tunes (and some standout solos by his band):

1. Holding On
2. On My Way to Harlem / What’s Going On
3. Take Me to the Alley
4. Don’t Lose Your Steam
5. Hey Laura
6. Liquid Spirit
7. Consequence of Love
8. Papa Was a Rolling Stone
9. Musical Genocide
10. Don’t Be a Fool
11. Work Song
12. In Fashion
13. Be Good (Lion’s Song)
14. 1960 What?
15. Water Under Bridges
16. Free / Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Gregory Porter: Live in Berlin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Gregory Porter Live in Berlin is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision, an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment, and Universal Music Group with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. This is an appealing sharp and well detailed presentation, though the lighting scheme tends and Porter's outfit tends to make it almost sepia toned looking a lot of the time. There's a slight purplish tint overlaying some moments (courtesy of the lighting array, one assumes), which can make black levels look just a bit milky. Close-ups reveal great fine detail to the point that the knit fabric covering the side of Porter's face is almost palpable. Some interstitial elements with interviews aboard what is either a train or perhaps a tour bus aren't quite as well detailed and suffer a bit from some overblown contrast.

Gregory Porter: Live in Berlin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Gregory Porter Live in Berlin features both an LPCM 2.0 (the default) and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. Those with surround setups will almost certainly want to opt for the 5.1 tracks, for it adds a really impressive amount of low end that makes Harrold's bass really stand out, commendably without burying Porter's distinctive voice in the slightest. The 2.0 track does probably offer a slightly more focused accounting of Porter's singing, but without the spaciousness the surround track affords. I did encounter a couple of odd moments where sound dropped out for just a millisecond, but when I rewound and replayed those moments, it didn't happen again. If any members who purchase this encounter the same anomaly, let me know and I'll update the review.

Gregory Porter: Live in Berlin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Recorded in Berlin (1080i; 12:43) has some good behind the scenes footage.

Additionally the package comes with 2 CDs containing the whole concert (and without the sometimes annoying voiceover from the interstitial interview segments that mars the actual concert video).

Gregory Porter: Live in Berlin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Aside from the fact that I wish this disc would have featured the option of "concert only" and "include the interview bits", this is a stellar release that finds Porter in great voice and his band contributing some really fantastic solos. Technical merits are strong (though note the audio anomaly I encountered, discussed above), and Gregory Porter Live in Berlin comes Highly recommended.