Blog
Jun 07, 2008
Fred Hersch and Kurt Elling: Poetic Collaboration at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival
The tenth annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival was my third And it won't be my last Amidst the wineries, bike trails, rolling hills and galleries of Sonoma County, Jessica Felix and company have been putting on one of the nation's finest, if one of...
May 23, 2008
Laurence Hobgood Joins Marian McPartland on Piano Jazz
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, May 23, 2008 -- Pianist Laurence Hobgood was born in Salisbury, NC, where his father headed the theater department at Catawba College The family relocated several times during Hobgood's childhood, following his...
May 14, 2008
Kurt Elling and Laurence Hobgood Kurt Elling and pianist Laurence Hobgood heat up the Gilmore Jazz Club
When jazz vocalist Kurt Elling was booked for the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, some people wondered why Part of the reason relates to the skills of Elling's pianist, Laurence Hobgood It was refreshing to see Hobgood spotlighted when...
May 12, 2008
Kurt Elling and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
As the crowd settled into the soft shufflings that the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has come to expect, Conductor Ben Northey strode onto stage, keen to get things running The first piece was unannounced but the program notes indicated it as Astor...
May 01, 2008
Kurt Elling: Emissary of Imagination; Ambassador of Possibility
Why was this such an incredible live music experience What makes this man seem prophetic and his music seem magic Kurt Elling is one of a rare breed of musicians whose complete mastery of their instrument has dissolved all technical barriers to...
May 01, 2008
Kurt Elling Jazz & Symphony: Ellingant!
Last night's concert, presented under the auspices of the Sydney Symphony's Kaleidoscope 2008 season was a lesson in breathtaking virtuosity: from Elling himself, who has a prize, precision instrument; the Lawrence Hobgood Quartet (at it's...
Feb 20, 2008
A Quirky Night for Quirky Romance
At first blush the stage at the Allen Room on Friday night appeared to be set for seduction Soft lighting (Check) Simmering groove (Check) Slow drift of headlights in the background, along Central Park South (OK, sure) And finally Kurt Elling...
Oct 14, 2007
Kurt Elling: This cat can scat!
He's an all-time jazz great and has friends in very high places – but can Kurt Elling make us fall in love with vocal improvisation and its eccentricities Kurt Elling is giving musical directions to the Klüvers Big Band in Aarhus,...
Jul 12, 2007
Act 3: Kurt Elling Works to Balance His Drive for Artistic Innovation with His New Family Life
Kurt Elling had a right to enjoy a moment of satisfaction As he introduced his band to a packed house at Chicago's Park West, he got to the Hawk String Quartet, which was positioned over his left shoulder toward the back of the stage "It...
Jul 09, 2007
The future of jazz singing? You decide.
With pretty much the whole profession of jazz singing suffering today, it is great an anomaly like Kurt Elling can ply his trade and not only make a career out of it, but excel at it and possibly become the catalyst for bringing the art back...
Jun 13, 2007
Positive changes for Kurt Elling
JAZZ SINGING IS a woman's world Whether it's the pop jazz (or jazzy pop) of artists such as Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Jane Monheit and Lizz Wright, who've had some crossover success, or more purely jazz singers such as Dianne Reeves and...
May 29, 2007
Pssst: Best male jazz vocalist – pass it on
Pssst: Kurt Elling is the best male vocalist working in jazz these days Pass it on That shouldn't be a secret The man has been making solid, adventurous albums since 1995 But not enough people seem to know about his gifts Of course, my...