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Kurt Elling

Biography

Fromwikipedia

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. Elling's 2007 album Nightmoves, released by Concord Jazz, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. One of Kurt Elling's contributions is as a writer and performer of vocalese, the art of writing and performing words over the recorded improvised solos of jazz artists. In 2007, Elling's vocalese lyrics were published by Circumstantial Productions in a book entitled LYRICS. 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. On January 31, 2010, Elling won his first Grammy Award in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Album for the album Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman on the Concord Jazz label.

This entry is automatically sourced from Wikipedia external link, the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors and is licensed under CC-BY-SA external link. Visit Kurt Elling external link on Wikipedia to correct or update this entry. Any changes made to the Wikipedia article will not be immediately available here. The ABC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Discography

  • Nightmoves
  • Man in the Air
  • Close Your Eyes
  • The Messenger 1997
  • This Time It's Love 1998
  • Flirting With Twilight 2001-09-06
  • Nightmoves 2007
  • Nightmoves 2007-04-03
  • Dedicated to You 2009-06-23

This entry is automatically sourced from Musicbrainz external link, the public domain music database. Visit the Kurt Elling external link page on Musicbrainz to correct or update this entry. Any changes made to the article will not be immediately available here. The ABC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Recently Played on ABC Jazz.

album cover
SongPrelude To A Kiss
ArtistKurt Elling
AlbumThe Messenger
LabelConcord/UMA
Year2009
album cover
SongDedicated To You
ArtistKurt Elling
AlbumDedicated To You
LabelConcord/UMA
Year2009
album cover
SongNature Boy
ArtistKurt Elling
AlbumThe Messenger
LabelConcord/UMA
Year2009
album cover
SongDetour Ahead
ArtistKurt Elling
AlbumFlirting With Twilight
LabelEMI Records
Year2001
album cover
SongAutumn Serenade
ArtistKurt Elling
AlbumDedicated To You
LabelConcord/UMA
Year2009
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Recommendations

Jan 10, 2010. 9:03pm
clynton recommended this
Nov 6, 2009. 6:42am
Henschke recommended this
Sep 26, 2009. 10:29am
riksil26 recommended this

Comments

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On Sep 26, 2009. 10:33am
riksil26 said

I have heard Kurt Elling for the first time today (Sat 26th Sept '09).

I have always loved Johnny Hartman, Kurt certainly has a very smooth similiar style, A GREAT TRIBUTE to Johnny.

On Sep 29, 2009. 12:55am
jsm975 said

He's no Johhny Hartman

On Oct 5, 2009. 3:10pm
Aztex said

I would like to protest STRONGLY against the apparent new policy of ABC Jazz to put 'Albums of the Week' on High rotation.

Hell, I've heard tracks from this album HOURLY for the past week and I am SICK OF HEARING ABOUT IT.

How dare you abuse ABC's position as a public broadcaster by doing this sort of promotion?

Someone at the ABC is doing a very good job of DESTROYING the fine reputation and listener goodwill built up by Dig Jazz. This sort of promotional programing has NO PLACE at the ABC and if it continues ABC Jazz will very soon loose my patronage as well as the patronage of many others.

PS. Kurt Elling absolutely STINKS as a vocalist and the backing arrangements are MEDIOCRE at best. His record company employ's some fine musicians to play an 'easy-listening' style of Jazz so that you are forced to listen to the vocal style which is a cheap imitation of Sinatra's style, timber and key.

He might appeal to the 'Blue Rinse Set' still morning Frank's passing but has few redeeming features beyond those memories.

On Oct 5, 2009. 11:01pm
Aztex said

Further to my previous complaint.

I just noticed that the voiceover announced that your new 'Album of the Week' is 'Labyrinth' (Jacam Manricks). However what did you play? (11.35PM, Monday October 5)

You guessed it. "Nancy with the Laughing Face" by Kurt Elling!!! Am I destined to listen to Kurt Elling EVERY HOUR for the rest of my life?

Is there no end to the incompetence being demonstrated by the ABC Jazz team? If not for my sake, please think of the harm you are now doing to Jacam Manrick's career.

The announcement is so emphatic that the next track is by the artist "Jacam Manricks". Now everybody thinks he is a singer (who sounds suspiciously like Kurt bloody Elling) and sings stuff like "Nancy with the Laughing Face".

...OH MY GOD THE HUMANITY!

On Oct 6, 2009. 1:45pm
Aztex said

Tuesday, 6 October, about 2:35 pm.

It's still going on. Another announcement that your album of the week is 'Labyrinth' by Jacam Manricks.

You played "Dedicated To You" by Kurt Elling.

Poor, poor Mr Manricks.

That this situation can continue so long only demonstrates to me that ABC Jazz has no reach in the industry. Nobody is paying any attention to it. Not the staff, not the listeners. Nobody!

On Oct 6, 2009. 7:39pm
Aztex said

Tuesday, 6 October, 8:43pm.

Album of the week announcement - 'Labyrinth' by Jacam Manricks.

You played "They Say It's Wonderful" by Kurt Elling.

Obviously nobody listens to ABC Jazz anymore.

On Nov 5, 2009. 8:57pm
blackrun said

enjoying your Buble collection are we?

On Nov 5, 2009. 9:57pm
Henschk said

Dear Aztec

You seem to have a beef about many things, as well as no judgement about music.

Mr Elling is a genius, pity you don't get it (and I've been playing and listening to music for 45 years).

His live performances are amazing. I've seen him 3 times, twice last April when he played with the SSO (who were inspired by the man). His live performances are picture perfect - you should go to one when he's back - if you can open your mind and ears.

Clearly a lot of folk around the world have been "fooled" by Kurt, read his Wikipedia entry.

Happy listening!!!!

On Nov 6, 2009. 7:15pm
blackrun said

Here here Henschk

Mr Aztex does seem to have wax in his ears...........why is Sinatra 'the' benchmark ?...great and influential vocal phrasing yes...Elling himself would be the first to admit his respect and inspiration from the Frankie. But 'cheap' imitation is offensive to artists such as Elling who is a jazz historian and student of the jazz composition in his own right.........how many artists can claim similiar?.........keep spinning the Bubles.

On Nov 20, 2009. 5:56am
Henschke said

Hear Hear Blackrun

So Aztec, what do you have to say for yourself?

Henschke

On Nov 20, 2009. 10:45pm
Aztex said

Congratulations and welcome to ABC Jazz.

Perhaps yourself and others should consider becoming the founding members of the "Inner Society for Safe Choices @ ABC Jazz" and help them build a little shrine to Kurt Elling.

Then, you could have hourly hymns sung out by Kurt Elling in a never-ending orgy dedicated to the mediocre of jazz artists. Kurt's next album entitled " The complete recorded works of Frank Sinatra, revisited ..again!" is sure to set your toes-a-tingling with anticipation.

I can hardly wait for that one.

If you are really interested in knowing what I am actually listening to (which I doubt) then view my recommendations and if you're really interested in knowing what sort of performances I attend, then view my downloads.

I rallied against the former ABC Jazz policy of 'Album of the Week' being on HOURLY rotation and they CHANGED IT.

I rallied against the damage being done to Jacam Manricks' career by the malfunctioning 'Album of the Week' playout system and THEY FIXED IT. Sadly not before probable damage was done to his placing at this years Wangaratta Jazz Festival. Many more people might have attended his performance if they were not already in possession of the preconceptions given to them by ABC Jazz about his music.

Sadly, both of these incidents have gotten tangled up with the Kurt Elling "Fan Club". It doesn't have much to do with him at all. I would have made the same protests irrespective of which artist was being FLOGGED TO DEATH by the ABC.

And now we have the coming reduction in Bandwidth to ABC Jazz to rally against. Not much hope on that one I am afraid.

Write to me again when you've been around for a bit longer and have worked out how this place works.

P.S. Who is Michael Bublé? I much prefer spinning my complete (all vinyl) recorded works of the Laughing Clowns. Been an LC fan for 30 years and I even brought along a member of 'The Go-Betweens' to their recent "Live at the Basement" sessions.

On Feb 20, 2010. 10:56pm
stevesoundog said

kurt is a genius

check out this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEhIEbheMqo&feature=youtube_gdata

tasty :)

On Aug 18, 2010. 9:08am
Aztex said

PLEASE, PLEASE STOP IT!

IF I HEAR ONE SOUR NOTE EMINATE OUT OF THE THROAT OF KURT BLOODY ELLING I'M GOING TO NECK MYSELF!!!

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