Kurt Elling’s New Directions

Look for fresh faces and sounds from the piano chair in the Kurt Elling Quintet as Kurt and the band reach out for new ideas and fresh perspectives. Gary Versace, Xavier Davis and Gerald Clayton have all been tapped for upcoming gigs. New charts, compositions and sonic atmospheres are already under construction.
Moreover, Kurt is collaborating with the likes of Tommy Smith (Scottish National Jazz Orchestra), Guy Barker (BBC Symphony) and Michael Abene (WDR Orchestra and Big band) on the creation and arrangement of new orchestral music.

Kurt and the rest of the band look forward to expanding their ideas into heretofore unheard areas of exploration. While a transition like this is bittersweet, the time for change is upon us and the creative edge of jazz comes into being anew in each moment.

Please join Kurt in wishing treasured collaborator Laurence Hobgood godspeed as he steps away to lead his own quintet and pursue special projects.