Jul 06, 2009
Moving tribute to legends lost & portrait of a gifted artist
Kurt Elling has never shied away from a challenge -- the nimble singer has carved a unique place for himself in the jazz pantheon, with a signature sound that cunningly combines blues, ballads, and beat-inspired poetry On his eighth outing as...
Jul 05, 2009
Vancouver Jazz Festival: Elling’s poise and taste
There are some consistencies in life The Middle East will always be a hot spot, the New York Yankees will overspend to be also-rans, and Kurt Elling will never disappoint an audience The Chicago-based jazz singer gave another star turn Friday...
Jul 02, 2009
Vancouver Jazz Fest: Kurt Elling pays homage to Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane
Dedicated to You, the new CD from jazz singer Kurt Elling, pays tribute to the 1963 duo recording that paired vocalist Johnny Hartman and saxophonist John Coltrane What began as a commission from the Chicago Jazz Festival has turned into a...
Jul 02, 2009
Kurt Elling channels Johnny Hartman
When Clint Eastwood wanted to evoke a mood of simmering romance tinged with rue, he called upon the velvet-smooth baritone of Johnny Hartman, generously ladling the crooner's voice throughout his film "The Bridges of Madison County" For...
Jul 02, 2009
Jazz.com’s Song of the Day: Say It (Over & Over Again)
Kurt Elling: Say It (Over & Over Again)Rating: 95/100 Originally produced as a concert for the Monterey Jazz Festival, Kurt Elling's CD "Dedicated To You" celebrates John Coltrane's Ballads and the classic John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman In...
Jun 30, 2009
Kurt Elling’s latest: At his most restrained
Chicago jazz singer Kurt Elling has been nominated for Grammy Awards so frequently that it seems inevitable he'll pick up the prize sooner or later In truth, he deserved to win years ago, for visionary work such as his brilliant debut CD,...
Jun 29, 2009
Elling a relentless innovator
In an era where the landscape of what passes for jazz singers is often very predictable, it's tempting to say "thanks God, for sending us Kurt Elling" OK, before you drop this page in disbelief, consider a few facts Singing standards from the...
Jun 25, 2009
Elling and Watts rekindle the glow of Coltrane and Hartman
In 2006, Kurt Ellling, who has blossomed into the most striking male vocalist in jazz, created a concert tribute to the one album made by tenor sax legend John Coltrane, his landmark quartet of the early 1960s and the obscure, baritone singer...
Jun 25, 2009
A touch of class
The historic collaboration between the great John Coltrane and baritone jazz singer Johnny Hartman—is remembered and celebrated in this special tribute album with Kurt Elling voicing standards from the Great American Songbook with the...
Jun 22, 2009
Certain jazz singers write their own rules
Certain jazz singers write their own rules They don't have to color within the lines because their voices allow them to wander the universe fairly freely Think of Billie Holiday Jimmy Scott Dinah Washington Louis Armstrong And then there's...
Jun 22, 2009
Kurt Elling: A standout choice to honor Hartman
Dedicated To You is a tribute to one of the most beloved and beautiful recordings in jazz, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman On that six song album, John Coltrane introduces a relatively unknown singer named Johnny Hartman The two musicians had...
Jun 18, 2009
Kurt Elling: Jazz Journalists Association’s Male Singer of the Year
For the fifth time, the Jazz Journalists Association has given the honor of Male Jazz Singer of the Year to Kurt Elling! The 13th Annual JJA Jazz Awards ceremony was held June 16 at The Jazz Standard in New York City Congratulations to all the...