Velvet Portraits


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, with co-producers Robert Searight and DJ Pooh.
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 Butterflys closing track of the same name.

Personnel