Velvet Portraits

Last updated
Velvet Portraits
VelvetPortraits.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 1, 2016 (2016-04-01)
Studio
Genre
Length1:10:04
Label
Producer Terrace Martin
Terrace Martin chronology
3ChordFold
(2013)
Velvet Portraits
(2016)
Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1
(2017)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
HipHopDX 4.1/5 [2]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [3]
PopMatters 7/10 [4]

Velvet Portraits is a studio album by American musician Terrace Martin. It was released on April 1, 2016 through Sounds Of Crenshaw/Ropeadope Records. Recording sessions took place at Organic Grease Studios, Ameraycan Studios, Village Studios and Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles, Make Believe Studios in Omaha and Affinia Hotel in New York. Production was handled by Martin himself, who co-producers Robert Searight and DJ Pooh.

Contents

It features guest appearances from Robert Glasper, Candy West, Kamasi Washington, Keyon Harrold, Lalah Hathaway, Marlon Williams, Ronald Bruner Jr., Rose Gold, The Emotions, Thundercat, Tiffany Gouché, Tone Trezure, Uncle Chucc and Wayne Vaughn, as well as contributions from Brandon "Eugene" Owens, Kenneth Crouch, Adam Turchin, Craig Brockman, Allakoi Peete, Chris Cadenhead, Preston Harris, Perri, Mitch Towne, Josef Leimberg, Wanda Vaughn, Wow Jones, and Martin's father and acclaimed jazz drummer Ernest "Curly" Martin.

In the United States, the album peaked at number 2 on the Jazz Albums, number 19 on the Heatseekers Albums and topped the Contemporary Jazz Albums charts. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, but lost to Lalah Hathaway's Lalah Hathaway Live .

The album was developed during the production of Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed album To Pimp a Butterfly , to which Martin was a major contributor. The closing track, "Mortal Man", is an elaboration of musical elements from Butterfly's closing track of the same name.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Velvet Portraits"1:34
2."Valdez Off Crenshaw"4:32
3."Push" (featuring Tone Trezure)4:36
4."With You"4:09
5."Curly Martin" (featuring Robert Glasper, Thundercat and Ronald Bruner Jr.)7:21
6."Never Enough" (featuring Tiffany Gouché)5:33
7."Turkey Taco" (featuring Wyann Vaughn and Wayne Vaughn)4:02
8."Patiently Waiting" (featuring Uncle Chucc and The Emotions)7:01
9."Tribe Called West" (featuring Keyon Harrold)2:34
10."Oakland" (featuring Lalah Hathaway)4:23
11."Bromali" (featuring Marlon Williams)3:38
12."Think of You" (featuring Kamasi Washington and Rose Gold)5:48
13."Reverse" (featuring Robert Glasper and Candy West)3:07
14."Mortal Man"11:46
Total length:1:10:04

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) [5] 2
US Top Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard) [6] 1
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [7] 19

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References

  1. Kellman, Andy. "Velvet Portraits - Terrace Martin | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  2. Fairfax, Jesse (April 10, 2016). "Terrace Martin - Velvet Portraits". HipHopDX . Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  3. Moore, Marcus J. (April 8, 2016). "Terrace Martin: Velvet Portraits". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  4. Elone, Emmanuel (April 26, 2016). "Terrace Martin: Velvet Portraits, PopMatters". PopMatters . Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  5. "Terrace Martin Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  6. "Terrace Martin Chart History (Top Contemporary Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  7. "Terrace Martin Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.