Kurt Elling

GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on eight occasions. An international jazz award winner, he has also been GRAMMY nominated a dozen times.

Elling's rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth. His repertoire includes original compositions and modern interpretations of standards, all of which are springboards for inspired improvisation, scatting, spoken word and poetry.

The New York Times declared, "Elling is the standout male vocalist of our time." The Washington Post added, "Since the mid-1990s, no singer in jazz has been as daring, dynamic or interesting as Kurt Elling. With his soaring vocal flights, his edgy lyrics and sense of being on a musical mission, he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz."

Elling was the Artist-in-Residence for the Singapore and Monterey Jazz Festivals. He has also written multi-disciplinary works for The Steppenwolf Theatre and the City of Chicago. The Obama Administration's first state dinner featured Elling in a command performance.

Elling is a renowned artist of vocalese — the writing and performing of words over recorded improvised jazz solos. The natural heir to jazz pioneers Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure and Jon Hendricks, Elling has set his own lyrics to the improvised solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny. He often incorporates images and references from writers such as Rilke, Rumi, Neruda and Proust into his work. The late poet and Bollingen Prize winner Robert Creeley wrote, "Kurt Elling takes us into a world of sacred particulars. His words are informed by a powerful poetic spirit." Said Robert Pinsky, former Poet Laureate of the United States, "In Kurt Elling's art, the voice of jazz gives a new spiritual presence to the ancient, sweet and powerful bond between poetry and music."

Kurt Elling has toured vigorously throughout his career, thrilling audiences throughout the world. In that time he has led his own ensemble and has collaborated with many of the world's finest orchestras.

Passion World, Kurt Elling’s 2015 recording, culminates nearly five years of collecting and honing songs – and in some cases writing new lyrics – that express love, romance and heartbreak around the world. Throughout his travels, Elling has observed how deeply felt passions are shaped in countless ways by each unique culture.

Those insights have guided the creation of Passion World, a tour-de-force project that is vibrant with diversity, celebrating what makes us all human. In concert Elling tells rich stories about the history and context of each of these songs to sweep you away on a grand tour of exotic places, cultures and times. Passion World is a musical magic carpet taking you on a fascinating journey through the realms of romance in a concert not to be missed.

Awards

Grammy Awards:

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman

Grammy Nominations:

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Upward Spiral, by the Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: The Gate
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: Dedicated to You
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: Nightmoves
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: Man in the Air
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: Flirting With Twilight
- Best Jazz Vocal Album: Live in Chicago
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance: This Time It's Love
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance: The Messenger
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance: Close Your Eyes
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist "Dedicated to You" from Dedicated to You (Arrangement by Laurence Hobgood)
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist "Easy Living" from Flirting With Twilight (Arrangement by Kurt Elling and Laurence Hobgood)
DownBeat:
- Critics Poll Winner: Male Vocalist of the Year – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
- Critics Poll Winner: Talent Deserving Wider Recognition – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
- Readers Poll Winner: Male Vocalist of the Year – 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
JazzTimes:
- Readers' Poll: Male Vocalist of the Year – 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
- Readers' Poll: Best New Release - 2012: 1619 Broadway - The Brill Building Project
Jazz Journalists Association:
- Male Singer of the Year – 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
JazzWeek:
- Vocalist of the Year – 2006
- Record of the Year: The Gate – 2011
Edison Jazz/World, The Netherlands:
- Edison Jazz Oeuvreprijs (Lifetime Achievement Award) - 2014
- Jazz Vocal: Kurt Elling, The Gate – 2011
Jazz FM Awards:
- International Jazz Artist of the Year – 2013
Blue Note Milano:
- Award of the Year - 2013
Scottish Jazz Awards:
- International category – 2012
Silesian Jazz Festival, Poland:
- Jazz Ambassador – 2012
ECHO Jazz, Germany:
- International Male Singer of the Year: Kurt Elling, The Gate – 2012
Académie du Jazz de Paris:
- Prix Billie Holiday: The Messenger
Nightlife Awards:
- Outstanding Jazz Vocalist in a Major Engagement — 2010
Union League Club of Chicago:
- Distinguished Musician — Inducted in 2011
Chicago Music Awards:
- Jazz Record of the Year — 1997
Rockford Area Music Awards:
- Hall Of Fame Induction — 2000
Chicago Tribune:
- A Chicagoan of The Year (Arts) — 1995
Crain's Chicago Business:
- Inductee: 40 under 40 (Who Make a Difference in Chicago Business) — 1998
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Ada Rovatti: The Hidden World Of Piloo

Read "The Hidden World Of Piloo" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright

by Katchie Cartwright
September 14, 2024

Ada Rovatti's intriguingly titled album, The Hidden World of Piloo, has a tale attached (and a tail). Piloo is an affectionate name Rovatti's father has called her since childhood, after a “naughty" cat in a favorite children's book. She adopted it for her label as well (Piloo Records). Rovatti grew up in Mortara, Italy, outside of Milan, in an unusual household. Her mother was a semi-pro softball player and her dad a geologist, professional hunter and purveyor of cars. The ...

Play This!

Elling, McLorin Salvant and Fortner: A Wish (Valentine)

by Katchie Cartwright
September 2, 2024

On a fragrant waft as summer draws to a close, Kurt Elling, Sullivan Fortner and Cécile McLorin Salvant tender this exquisite reading of Fred Hersch and Norma Winstone's “A Wish (Valentine)," from Wildflowers, Vol. 1 (Edition Records, 2024). Conceived, recorded and released in one week during the dog days of August, the album is a lovely reminder of the power of a moment in the hands and hearts of a masterful artist (or three). ...

Album Review

Clarence Penn: Behind the Voice

Read "Behind the Voice" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 5, 2024

Drummer Clarence Penn, a serious force on the scene for more than three decades, has worked with a who's who of vocalists--Betty Carter, Kandace Springs, Luciana Souza, Kate McGarry, Nellie McKay, Claudia Acuña, Paula Cole, Melissa Walker and Nneena Freelon, to name just a few. He knows more than a thing or two about history and creativity behind the voice, and he's here to show it with this sharply-constructed date. Working with a stacked lineup of singers and instrumentalists, and ...

Live Review

Kurt Elling and the National Jazz Orchestra at the MNT Theatre

by Nenad Georgievski
June 5, 2024

Kurt Elling & National Jazz Orchestra MNT Theatre jny:Skopje, Macedonia May 15, 2024 Kurt Elling and the National Jazz Orchestra graced the stage of the MNT Theatre in Skopje, Macedonia, delivering an extraordinary performance. This marked their second collaboration after their unforgettable encounter at Lisinski Hall in jny:Zagreb, Croatia, in 2021, where they left audiences awe-inspired. However, the intimacy of the venue in Skopje added a new layer of intensity to the performance.

Live Review

Kurt Elling & Danilo Pérez at Jazz, TX

by Katchie Cartwright
May 29, 2024

Kurt Elling & Danilo Pérez Jazz, TX jny:San Antonio, Texas May 9, 2024 Kurt Elling's presence has a density that generates its own gravitational pull. He plants himself solidly in the moment onstage and draws the audience in. Danilo Pérez is similarly brilliant and focused. He shares Elling's dedication to the impromptu and both are ardent storytellers. They complement one another in a duo setting, each bringing an array of abilities and sensibilities. That evening, ...

Live Review

Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter at the Boulder Theater

by Geoff Anderson
October 18, 2023

Kurt Elling Charlie Hunter Superblue Boulder Theater Boulder, Colorado October 8, 2023 Both Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter have been at the leading edge of jazz and jazz-adjacent music for about 30 years now. They've consistently shown unrelenting creativity, searching for new sounds and innovative concepts. They've collaborated off and on for over 20 years. An early notable joint effort appeared on two tracks on Hunter's Songs From the Analog Playground (Blue Note, 2001). But ...

Live Review

Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter at Boulder Theater

by Steven Roby
October 13, 2023

Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter Boulder Theater Boulder, CO October 8, 2023 Supporting their latest collaboration album, SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree (Edition Records, 2023), jazz icon Kurt Elling and guitar maestro Charlie Hunter offered a high-energy performance on October 8th at the Boulder Theater. The incredible duo's band featured Julius Rodriguez on keyboards and Marcus Finnie on drums. Elling and company delivered a crowd-pleasing 90-minute set filled with funky originals, innovative covers, and a few ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on eight occasions. An international jazz award winner, he has also been GRAMMY nominated a dozen times. Elling's rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth. His repertoire includes original compositions ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on eight occasions. An international jazz award winner, he has also been GRAMMY nominated a dozen times. Elling\'s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth... Read more.

Place our Musician ...
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Festival

Giants Of Jazz To Headline 2019 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival

Source: Niamh Murphy
July 12, 2019

Exciting headline acts have been announced for the 42nd Guinness Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland, which takes place over the October Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday, 24th to Monday, 28th October. Headliners Giants of Jazz will join globally renowned artists pushing the boundaries of the musical genre today. The line-up features legendary artists including Grammy Hall of Famer Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, listed among Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Immortal Artists”; Kurt Elling with ‘Kurt Elling sings A Century of ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2018

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on eight occasions. An international jazz award winner, he has also been GRAMMY nominated a dozen times. Elling\'s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth... Read more.

Place our Musician ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2017

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on eight occasions. An international jazz award winner, he has also been GRAMMY nominated a dozen times. Elling\'s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth... Read more.

Place our Musician ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2016

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today!

GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on eight occasions. An international jazz award winner, he has also been GRAMMY nominated a dozen times. Elling\'s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth... Read more.

Place our Musician ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Kurt Elling

Source: Michael Ricci
November 2, 2015

All About Jazz is celebrating Kurt Elling's birthday today! GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling is among the world\'s foremost jazz vocalists. He won the DownBeat Critics Poll for fourteen consecutive years and was been named “Male Singer of the Year" by the Jazz Journalists Association eight times in that same span. Every one of Elling\'s ten albums has been nominated for a GRAMMY. Elling\'s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth... Read more. Place ...
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Education

Music Education Monday: Vocal tips from Kurt Elling and Frank Sinatra, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 13, 2015

This week for “Music Education Monday," here are some free resources for aspiring jazz vocalists. If you're just getting started, the website JazzSingers.com offers a good overview of the history of jazz singing and its most important practitioners, and includes a lot of potentially useful links. For example, that's where yr. humble editor found the text for Tips On Popular Singing, a instructional book published in 1941 that's credited to none other than Frank Sinatra, “in collaboration with his vocal ...
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