Jun 11, 2015
Kurt Elling: Passion World review – plenty to smile about
Designed to reflect Kurt Elling's multicultural life on the road, Passion World presents the jazz-vocals virtuoso at work in English, French, Portuguese and German, with two orchestras (Tommy Smith's Scottish National Jazz Orchestra...
Jun 10, 2015
What’s so good about Kurt Elling?
I'm trying to remember when I first heard Kurt Elling I'm pretty sure it was while driving, on my way to teach a trumpet lesson many years ago, on CJRT, on Ted O'Reilly's show I think Ted played Kurt's version of "My...
Jun 10, 2015
Kurt Elling Goes Global, Literally And Figuratively, With New CD
Jazz vocalist luminary Kurt Elling this week releases his new CD, "Passion World," and embarks on a world tour for it at Birdland, the jazz club in New York The CD, from Concord Jazz, is five years in the making, springing from a concert Elling...
Jun 09, 2015
Melbourne International Jazz Festival: Kurt Elling and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Elling made much of his name for his vocal improvisations over famous jazz solos But is most distinctive quality is his richness of tone, like liquid chocolate, but with a rough edge that prevents him ever descending into sentimentality It...
Jun 08, 2015
Passion World – Kurt Elling
Both a virtuoso and a journeyman, a traditionalist and a chance taker, singer Kurt Elling has built a career upon defying expectations while also celebrating the standards of the vocal jazz tradition An adept vocalist with an eloquent set of...
Jun 08, 2015
Kurt Elling – Passion World
Back at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival last year the US singer (arguably the finest male singer of his generation) was road-testing the concept of a world tour in song This is it, with an impressive range of material as Elling continues to test...
Jun 02, 2015
Kurt Elling: Passion World on WBGO’s The Checkout Radar
Kurt Elling is always inspiring Gig to gig Album to album He's always expanding and extending his musical horizon Passion World is certainly his most ambitious album yet Some of the inspiration comes from his singing for many years...
Jun 01, 2015
Melbourne International Jazz Festival review: Kurt Elling and MSO form ‘magnificent organism’
Let's be honest: when jazz is performed in an orchestral setting, the results are often less than satisfying The orchestra – especially when accompanying a jazz ensemble – is frequently reduced to swelling strings, jaunty...
May 31, 2015
Kurt Elling with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
According to the quote from the Washington Post used to promote Kurt Elling's performances with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, "he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz," and certainly there was plenty of creative spirit on...
May 30, 2015
Review: Kurt Elling – Passion World
Kurt Elling has never been one to fight shy of risk Long stretches of vocalese Try A New Body and Soul from the album Nightmoves Notes seemingly held for minutes at a time How about Higher Vibe from Man In The Air For vocal acrobatics and jazz...
May 29, 2015
Legendary US jazz vocalist Kurt Elling joins forces with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for weekend concerts
"I LOVE playing with big orchestras and big bands," Kurt Elling says It doesn't get much bigger than the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra So earlier today, in rehearsals ahead of weekend concerts at Hamer Hall, the legendary US jazz vocalist...
May 26, 2015
Kurt Elling Swings Sinatra with the SNJO: a performance of evocative style and musical passion
In April 2002, I was fortunate to attend the annual Tartan Week in New York celebrating Scottish heritage and culture and our contribution to the United States In downtown Chelsea, the Distilled contemporary music festival included Mull...