Gregory Porter's albums soar up the Official Albums Chart after BBC Radio 2 concert: "Jazz is having its moment"

Gregory Porter has achieved a impressive feat on this week's Official Albums Chart, as two of his albums sit inside this week's Top 20. 

The US jazz singer's two most recent records - this year's Take Me To The Alley and 2013's Liquid Spirit - climb to numbers 11 and 18 respectively. Both albums' surge up the chart comes off the back of his well-received performance for BBC Radio 2's In Concert series at Maida Vale Studios.

Artists having multiple entries on the Official Albums Chart isn't common, but it does happen: David Bowie and Prince both dominated the chart following their untimely deaths earlier this year, while the likes of Adele and Sia have also managed it in recent months. 

But it's not often that jazz is so prominent on the Official Chart. Indeed, his Take Me To The Alley album became the first jazz record to break into the Top 5 in the UK for over ten years back in May.

MORE: Check out Gregory Porter's full Official Chart history

"I'm very grateful for the success of Take Me To The Alley," Gregory said. The chart positions it's reached around the world is very exciting, and to have two albums in the album chart at the same time shows how much the UK accept and support my music.

"The jazz genre is definitely having a moment right now, artists such as myself and Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper and José James, they are all connecting with a wider range of fans than ever before. This new wave of jazz artists are pushing the boundaries of people's understanding of jazz, making it more accessible for younger fans and bringing it to the attention of new audiences across the globe."

MORE: Check out this week's Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart

Martin Talbot, Chief Executive Officer for the Official Charts Company, added: "It is a fantastic achievement by Gregory Porter for him to secure two albums in the Top 20. Such success is usually the preserve of huge mainstream artists, so Gregory’s achievement this week really does underline how far he has come in crossing over in the UK."

Unsurprisingly, Gregory also dominates this week's Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart, which is published every week, here on OfficialCharts.com at 5.45pm. Click here to view the latest chart.