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Kurt Elling

 
Artist: Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling

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  • Born: November 02, 1967, Chicago, IL
  • Active: '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Vocal Music
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "Nightmoves," "The Messenger," "Man in the Air"

Biography

One of the few male jazz singers from around the baby boom generation, Kurt Elling is an anomaly simply by profession. Given the depth and broad vision of his recordings and performance style, Elling is in a league of his own. Planning a career in the academic world, he discovered jazz and took to it naturally. Deeply influenced by singer and poet Mark Murphy, Elling began to develop his idiosyncratic scat style in the smaller clubs of Chicago (primarily at the Green Mill, sharing the stage with legends Von Freeman and Ed Peterson) and then throughout the Midwest. An Elling show can contain ranting beat poetry, dramatic and poignant readings of Rilke, and hard-swinging scat. After sending a demo to Blue Note, Elling signed to the label and issued Close Your Eyes in 1995. He began to get attention from the jazz press, not only for his talent and original style, but also for his choice in sidemen, which included Laurence Hobgood and Paul Wertico for a time. His ultra-hip persona prevailed on 1996's Messenger, which was tougher and leaner than its predecessor, and along with hard touring and a taste for the theatrical and outrageous, Elling won over not only critics but jazz audiences from coast to coast. Elling was married that same year and chose, depending on your point of view, either to revise his hipster image or broaden his traditional base with a collection of standard ballads and love songs entitled This Time It's Love. The album won numerous awards in magazines and was nominated for a Grammy. Endless touring and guest appearances resulted in Blue Note issuing Live in Chicago from three sets at the Green Mill, and 2001 resulted in Flirting with Twilight, his most ambitious and satisfying recording -- he opened the disc by singing a Charlie Haden bass solo. Man in the Air and Nightmoves followed in 2003 and 2007, respectively. In 2009, as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series of concerts, Elling released the live album Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
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Kurt Elling

Background information
Birth name Kurt Elling
Born November 2, 1967 (1967-11-02) (age 42)
Genres Jazz
Occupations Musician, Composer, Businessman
Instruments Vocals
Labels Concord Records, Concord Jazz, Blue Note
Associated acts Charlie Hunter
Website KurtElling.com

Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz vocalist.

Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.

In the last decade, Elling has released seven albums for the Blue Note label. He has also performed and recorded with David Amram, Bob Belden, Joanne Brackeen, Oscar Brown, Jr., Billy Corgan, Orbert Davis, George Freeman, Buddy Guy, Jon Hendricks, Charlie Hunter, Randy Bachman, Bob Mintzer, Rex Richardson, and Bob Sheppard.

Elling has won the Down Beat and JazzTimes critics’ polls three years in a row in the Best Male Singer category. He is also Vice Chair of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the 17,000-member service organization that produces the annual Grammy Awards. Kurt Elling's 2007 album "Nightmoves," released by Concord Jazz, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

As of 2008, Elling's band included Laurence Hobgood on piano, Robert Amster on bass, and drummer Kobie Watkins. Elling has been regularly featured at the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge at 4802 N. Broadway in Chicago, generally on Wednesday evenings when the band was not on tour.

Discography

  • 1995 - Close Your Eyes (Blue Note)
  • 1997 - The Messenger (Blue Note)
  • 1998 - This Time it's Love (Blue Note)
  • 2000 - Live in Chicago (Blue Note)
  • 2000 - Live in Chicago Out Takes (Blue Note)
  • 2001 - Flirting with Twilight (Blue Note)
  • 2003 - Man in the Air (Blue Note)
  • 2007 - Nightmoves (Concord Jazz)
  • 2009 - Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (Concord)

References

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kurt Elling" Read more

 

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