Aug 25, 2008
2008-9 Special Project: “Dedicated to You”
This season Kurt brings Ernie Watts and Ethel aboard for Dedicated to You, his creative re-imagining of John Coltrane's collaboration with romantic balladeer Johnny Hartman John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, recorded in 1963, became an instant...
Jul 25, 2008
At the 92nd Street Y, Jazz for All
One evening in the early '60s, the bassist Charlie Haden was playing at the Village Vanguard as a member of the Ornette Coleman Quartet He was in the middle of a particularly intense solo, and he decided to close his eyes When he opened them at...
Jul 24, 2008
Bernstein as a Fount of Fusion
Elegance without ostentation: that would describe the overview of Leonard Bernstein songs that the pianist Bill Charlap and the singer Kurt Elling brought to Bernstein's theater music at the opening program of the 92nd Street Y's Jazz in July...
Jul 24, 2008
They’re Just Wild About Lenny
In a spirited salute to the man he aptly described as an "awesome musical force," West Orange piano dynamo Bill Charlap headed up "Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein" on Tuesday at the 92nd Street Y's Kaufmann Concert Hall Leading off...
Jul 23, 2008
Kurt #1 in the DownBeat Critics Poll Again!
DownBeat's critics have spoken, and for the ninth year in a row, Kurt Elling is their choice for Male Vocalist of the Year! Kurt Elling -- 243 Andy Bey -- 175 Mark Murphy -- 95 Tony Bennett -- 67 Freddy Cole -- 50 To vote yourself in...
Jun 22, 2008
Kurt Sings Leonard Bernstein at “Jazz in July”
Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard BernsteinTuesday, July 22, 2008, 8 pm 92nd St Y, New York, NY Jazz in July opens this year with a program dedicated to the songs of Leonard Bernstein Bernstein would have turned 90 this year, and this show is...
Jun 12, 2008
Kurt to Perform at GRAMMY Foundation’s Starry Night Gala Honoring Sir George Martin
Starry NightUniversity of Southern California Los Angeles July 12, 2008 Knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1996, Sir George Martin is listed in the Guinness World Records as the most successful producer ever, with more than 50 No 1 hit records...
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 15, 2008
Laurence Hobgood on NPR’s Piano Jazz May 23!
The legendary Marian McPartland hosts Laurence Hobgood on NPR's Piano Jazz, beginning May 23 Imagine these two keyboard giants playing together! Check local listings -- stations have two weeks to air the broadcast After that, it will be...
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...