Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Play Weather Report Alive in Europe

Big Shoulders Records | 2026

On Play Weather Report: Alive in Europe + Bonus Studio Recordings, two-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling joins Yellowjackets to explore and celebrate the music of Weather Report, one of the defining ensembles in modern jazz.

Rather than simply revisiting the original recordings, Elling and Yellowjackets approach the repertoire as living music. The project draws on the extraordinary musical language created by Weather Report while giving the musicians the freedom to reinterpret the material through their own individual and collective voices.

Recorded live during the group’s European performances, Alive in Europe captures the interaction, improvisation, and energy that developed as the music evolved onstage from night to night. Elling’s voice functions not simply as a featured vocal element but as another instrument within the ensemble, extending Weather Report’s compositions through vocal improvisation and newly created lyrics.

The album also includes bonus studio recordings that expand the project beyond the live collaboration, featuring Elling with Joey Calderazzo, Mike Moreno, Dane Alderson, and Marcus Finnie.

Together, the recordings are both a celebration of Weather Report’s legacy and a continuation of its spirit of exploration.