Blog
Mar 07, 2016
Review & Bonus Interview: Kurt Elling at Stanford University
Kurt Elling is full of it — talent that is As a vocalist, performer and writer/poet, he is just, simply — off the charts His performance for Stanford Live at Bing Hall, at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Saturday, February 27...
Feb 21, 2016
A conversation with Kurt Elling
As arguably the most prominent male jazz vocalist of his Generation X era, Kurt Elling has a plethora of gigging and recoding outlets through which he can ply his commanding vocal delivery and four-octave range "I'm involved with a nice...
Feb 18, 2016
Jazz Singer Kurt Elling Shares What Makes a Good Song
Jazz singer Kurt Elling is an artist in constant forward motion A master vocalist with virtuoso chops and a deep appreciation of the genre, his career began in the jazz clubs of Chicago, where two of the scene's elder statesmen provided...
Feb 16, 2016
This Is Cabaret: Ann Hampton Callaway, Kurt Elling and Marilyn Maye
Who could be a better host for a radio program called This is Cabaret than the fabulous Ann Hampton Callaway Emanating from the Birdland Jazz Club in Times Square, the first two installments featured jazz singer extraordinaire, Kurt Elling and...
Feb 05, 2016
Spectrum review: Kurt Elling’s Passion World
Fred and Ginger, tomato and basil, gin and tonic: some pairings are such a natural fit as to seem inseparable Singer Kurt Elling and pianist Laurence Hobgood were such a match for 20 years, but now the party is apparently over (excepting...
Feb 02, 2016
Monty Alexander & Friends: Frank Sinatra at 100 With Kurt Elling in Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
At 17 years old, a serendipitous encounter with Frank Sinatra and his long-time pal Jilly Rizzo changed the trajectory of Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander’s career forever: Alexander would soon become the house pianist for the famed...
Dec 15, 2015
Branford Marsalis and Kurt Elling in New Orleans, ready for recording
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis's quartet and singer Kurt Elling prepared for their upcoming recording in a rare four-night stand at Snug Harbor in New Orleans last week, and photo-journalist extraordinaire Marc PoKempner went each night,...
Dec 11, 2015
Memorable Sinatra Moments: Kurt Elling, Caetano Veloso, & Iggy Pop
Kurt Elling "It Was a Very Good Year" (1965) "Sinatra is the embodiment of a dominant, swinging singer His technique is flawless (Did Sinatra ever sing out of tune) His delivery is emotionally transparent and rich His diction is at once...
Dec 07, 2015
Branford Marsalis Quartet + Kurt Elling – Four Big Nights @ Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, New Orleans
It is difficult to believe that the last time saxophonist Branford Marsalis headlined at Snug Harbor, New Orleans most prestigious modern jazz mecca, was circa 1984 At that time, Marsalis, who appears at the club for a unprecedented four-night...
Nov 25, 2015
Kurt Elling brings the passion to each performance
Talk about a "world music" album Acclaimed jazz singer Kurt Elling's latest, Passion World, is a literal jazz trip through various international music forms and cutting-edge styles Elling, a 21st century combo of Johnny Hartman, Jon...
Nov 18, 2015
Kurt Elling and Cécile McLorin Salvant dazzle at Cadogan Hall
Kurt Elling radiates bonhomie, but is more theatrical, grittier maybe, his grey suit tightly buttoned, standing firm, like a Chicagoan should, hands outstretched, as that great tree-trunk of a baritone voice resonates and builds into an almost...
Nov 17, 2015
Review | Kurt Elling at the London Jazz Festival – he reinvents songs with his staggering jazz chops
Kurt Elling's four-octave vocal range and easy-swinging style makes him a kind of Sinatra with superpowers, ably supported by the retooled Swingles We hear singers all the time – perfectly serviceable ones who can carry a tune and...