For the fifth time, the Jazz Journalists Association has given the honor of Male Jazz Singer of the Year to Kurt Elling! The 13th Annual JJA Jazz Awards ceremony was held June 16 at The Jazz Standard in New York City.

Congratulations to all the winners, and especially to Kurt!

On June 23rd, Grammy nominated and critically-acclaimed vocalist Kurt Elling will release Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, his eighth overall album and second release on Concord Jazz. The live collection was recorded in January 2009 in Manhattan as part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. The 12-track release features an all-star cast of musicians including saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood Trio and the string quartet, ETHEL.

Throughout his eclectic career, Kurt Elling has roved freely across vocalese, transformed instrumental music, tunes from the Great American Songbook, poetry, theatre, dance and more. His new project began in his home town “as an idea suggested by my friends at the Chicago Jazz Festival,” recalls Elling. “They gave me a call and asked me essentially to reiterate the John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman material for a bill they were planning. I’m always happy to have an idea like that. But it didn’t interest me quite as much to simply reiterate the material. So I asked if I could do it my own way.”

As the program morphed through various phases, one aspect was consistent – Elling’s desire to place the music in the setting of a string quartet, first with acoustic bass, and later with a complete jazz trio led by Laurence Hobgood, his long-time musical companion, pianist, who also provided most of the arrangements. Kurt recruited Ernie Watts on saxophone and ETHEL, and the group began touring with the project. The response to the program was wonderful and Kurt decided to record the set live in New York at the Allen Room in Lincoln Center.

Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman is a stunning spectrum of music, both vocal and instrumental. The album opens with an introductory interpretation of the American Songbook classic, “All or Nothing At All,” in which the interconnectedness between Elling’s vocal and Watt’s tenor saxophone calls up immediate references to the Coltrane/Hartman source. The transformative interpretations of songs such as “Autumn Serenade,” “Nancy With the Laughing Face” and “You Are Too Beautiful” are definitive examples of how to remain true to the inner essence of a song.

“When you hear any of those great masters – like Coltrane – and realize the incredible gift from God that is given to those people, you can’t overstate their importance to the jazz world, to the world in general. And we were very much aware of that fact as we put all this together,” remarked Elling.

Since Elling has been touring with Dedicated To You, the project has received critical praise on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Chicago Tribune called it "...some of the best ballad singing being performed today."

Jazzwise Magazine declared, "Barely taking one deep breath, he pours out a lifetime’s worth of emotion. Haunting yet equally comforting, the baritone voice ought to be patented as a new instrument."

The New York Times said, “Mr. Elling has proved his finesse as a Hartman-like melodist...accessing both Coltrane and Hartman, he sounded like no one but himself.”

Throughout his career Elling has earned eight Grammy nominations, top spot placement in the Down Beat Critics’ and Jazz Times Readers’ polls, four Jazz Journalists Association wins for Best Male Vocalist and the Prix Billie Holiday from the Académie du Jazz in Paris.

Track Listing:

All or Nothing at All (6:50)
It’s Easy to Remember (A Jazz Story Memory) (4:05)
Dedicated to You (6:35)
What’s New (Instrumental) – Ernie Watts (2:40)
Lush Life (4:39)
Autumn Serenade (3:10)
Say It (Over and Over Again) (6:40)
They Say It’s Wonderful (3:59)
My One and Only Love (3:26)
Nancy with the Laughing Face (4:56)
Acknowledgments (:38)
You Are Too Beautiful (8:10)

Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman will be released June 23 in the US on Concord Jazz. European release is scheduled for fall in advance of Kurt's Dedicated to You European tour 27 October - 16 November.

And enjoy the beautiful Electronic Press Kit video for Dedicated to You, taped at the Allen Room in Lincoln Center.

Laurence Hobgood's long-awaited duet album with bassist Charlie Haden, When the Heart Dances, will be released on The Naim Label on April 20 in Europe and in the US this summer!

A two-record vinyl version will also be released in May.

When the Heart Dances features Kurt Elling on three tunes. Five of the compositions are originals by Laurence and/or Charlie. KEQ fans may have heard Laurence perform his exquisite composition, Sanctuary, at live shows over the past few years.

In the EU, When the Heart Dances will be available everywhere -- in record stores and on the web: The Naim e-store, Amazon in Europe, Amazon digital, and all the other usual web outlets. Many of those ship to US customers as well. Check shipping and price.

It will also be available for download on iTunes.

US availability will be announced soon.

When the Heart Dances was recorded in 2008 at the California Institute of the Arts, home of Charlie Haden's award-winning CalArts Jazz Studies Program. Ken Christianson, sound recording master extraordinaire, recorded it using his True Stereo method that gives the listener a live, acoustically realistic experience. No editing, mixing, or sweetening involved. Just the music.

And what music!

Track list:

1. Que Sera Sera
2. When The Heart Dances
3. First Song (featuring Kurt Elling)
4. Sanctuary (Laurence Hobgood, solo piano)
5. Chickoree
6. Stairway To The Stars (featuring Kurt Elling)
7. New Orleans
8. Why Did I Choose You?
9. Leatherwood (Laurence Hobgood, solo piano)
10. Daydream (featuring Kurt Elling)
11. The Cost Of Living

Dave Brubeck said Laurence is "one of the most incredible pianists I've ever heard." Jazz writers call him "an underrated and underappreciated artist of high order" and "one of the finest pianists out there. Period."

When the Heart Dances showcases the apex of his artistry, in partnership with two other jazz greats. Order your copy today!

Ordering Update: Prior to April 20, fans everywhere can preorder at great prices from two webstores in the UK. Both ship to the US at very reasonable rates.

Crotchet's special sales price is £11.50 through the end of May. They ship airmail worldwide.

Amazon UK sells this CD for £11.69.

After April 20, When the Heart Dances will be widely available throughout Europe.

A limited number of copies of the fabulous Live in Montreal DVD are now available in Kurt's Store.

For all you fans in the US who weren't able to get one from a European outlet, here's your golden opportunity. Get yours while they last!

Hey, Isn't That...?

Marian Robinson at Kurt Elling's concert Saturday at the Kennedy Center? The first mother-in-law and three friends came to hear the Chicago jazz singer, who bought his Chicago condo from Barack and Michelle Obama in 2005. Robinson went backstage after the performance and told Elling: "Barack said to say hello."

~ Roxanne Roberts & Amy Argetsinger, The Reliable Source, The Washington Post, March 2, 2009

Once again, Kurt has won first place in the 2008 JazzTimes Readers' Poll for male vocalist of the year.

Tony Bennett, Mark Murphy, and Jamie Cullum got honorable mentions.

You can see the full results here.

As always, congratulations, Kurt!

Kurt Elling's first DVD, "Live in Montreal," has just been released in Europe! Recorded at the 2007 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, this special DVD features selections from Kurt's latest album, "Nightmoves."

He's joined by Laurence Hobgood (piano), Rob Amster (bass), Willie Jones III (drums), Guilherme Monteiro (guitar), Howard Levy (harmonica), and Bob Sheppard (saxophone). Special guests: Randy Bachman (guitar) and Richard Bona (bass).

Kurt in the live setting is something to behold, as he's an artist at the very height of his powers, a true virtuoso in complete command of that most marvelous instrument, his voice. Sometimes said to have "a voice like Stradivarius," Elling's total vocal command and virtuosity are rarely matched by vocalists in any field.

Whether it's his breath control, his ability to circular breathe (sustaining note for impossibly long periods), his range, timing and phrasing, and his deft humor, Elling is pretty much in a league of his own. A true vocal tour de force, this is Elling at his best, performing live and in the moment and sharing his remarkable gift with all of us.

Tracklist:

My Foolish Heart
Nightmoves
Tight
Luiza
Change Partners/If You Never Come To Me
And We Will Fly
Undun
The Waking
A New Body And Soul
Nature Boy
Leaving Again/In The Wee Small Hours

Extras: Documentary (47 min.) with Kurt Elling, Bob Sheppard, Mary Ann Topper, Rob Amster, Laurence Hobgood, Randy Bachman, Richard Bona, Mark Murphy, Guilherme Monteiro, and Howard Levy

UPDATE 02/14/09: This DVD is on the Emarcy label, part of the Universal Music Group family. Released only in Europe, it's actually in NTSC format for all regions so it can be played in the US and elsewhere. Now available in fine web stores everywhere (or at least throughout Europe) -- Google "Kurt Elling" "Live in Montreal" to find your copy.