Feb 14, 2010
Jazz without the pizzazz
Is it possible for jazz to be too tasteful, too classy, too perfect If it is, then it was A group calling itself Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour played politely for more than two hours to a near-capacity audience Thursday night at Berklee...
Feb 13, 2010
MJF All-Stars show needs more improvisational fire
If followers of music lore were expecting the hot-blooded spirit of jazz festival legends such as Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie to wash over the Berklee Performance Center stage during Thursday's Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour all-star...
Feb 11, 2010
Mechanics Hall swinging as Monterey All-Stars play
California's 53rd annual Monterey Jazz Festival won't take place until mid-September, but apparently it's never too early to advertise that fact The Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars did just that Monday night at Mechanics Hall, for a crowd of...
Feb 06, 2010
Kurt Elling on History, Vocalese, and the Opportunities of a New Art Form
Blues guitarist John Hammond once said the blues was largely about borrowing and lending Kurt Elling feels the same way about jazz "You definitely want the sound of the history of your instrument to be present in what you play,†Elling...
Feb 01, 2010
Ninth Time is the Charm for Consummate Vocalist Kurt Elling
The jazz world is celebrating as one of the jazz community's most revered artists finally received his just due Premiere vocalist Kurt Elling won his first ever GRAMMY, the Best Jazz Vocal Album award for Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the...
Jan 31, 2010
The GRAMMY for Best Vocal Jazz Album: Dedicated to You!
Kurt brings home his very first GRAMMY for the exquisitely beautiful, tasteful, and always swingin' Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman This was Kurt's ninth nomination -- each and every Elling album has been...
Jan 29, 2010
Kurt Elling: At The Grammys, Always The Bridesmaid …
Kurt Elling is one of today's leading jazz vocalists, and this Sunday, he's co-hosting the Grammy Awards Ok, it's the Grammy Pre-Telecast Ceremony, but the event, which presents many of the awards that aren't seen in the main ceremony, is...
Jan 26, 2010
2010 Nightlife Awards: Awards Already Known, Winners Present a Show
Christine Ebersole, described as "the Meryl Streep of cabaret,†was named outstanding cabaret vocalist in a major engagement at the New York Nightlife Awards on Monday evening at Town Hall Accompanied on piano by John Oddo, the winsome,...
Jan 25, 2010
Examiner Exclusive: Kurt Elling to emcee at upcoming GRAMMYs
By Neil Tesser, Chicago Jazz Music Examiner, January 25, 2010 This just in: jazz vocal star Kurt Elling will be a winner this Sunday at the 52nd annual GRAMMY® Awards The Chicago-bred Elling's is nominated for Dedicated To You (Concord), a...
Jan 16, 2010
Kurt Elling Wins 2010 Nightlife Award!
The 2010 Nightlife Awards have named Kurt Elling as Outstanding Jazz Vocalist in a Major Engagement Now in its eighth year, the Nightlife Awards honor the best of New York's cabaret, comedy, and jazz, bestowed by a distinguished panel of more...
Dec 10, 2009
Elling Elevated the Words Like Bebop Solos
Singer Kurt Elling brought a much-needed musical and theatrical presence to the LA Philharmonic's tip of the beret to the 1950s poets who created an artistic base in San Francisco For too much of the night, the two jazz bands dominated with...
Dec 10, 2009
Live review: A Night of the Beats at Disney Hall
It was difficult to know what to expect going into the Night of the Beats concert at Disney Hall on Tuesday night In this final performance in the West Coast, Left Coast festival, the only sure thing was a celebration of the intersection of...