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Kurt Elling
The ultimate jazz vocalist -- The Washington Post
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May 2011: THE GATE on Tour
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In the past three months, The Gate Tour has taken Kurt and the band to 19 U.S. cities in 15 states and 16 cities in 10 European countries! They've played 64 shows to very enthusiastic and appreciative audiences. After a brief intermission, The Gate Tour resumes later this month in the Middle East, with dates in Istanbul, Turkey and Tel Aviv, Israel, followed by shows in Milan, Paris, Hamburg, and Budapest. As Kurt says, "All new notes!" Please see MAY Gigs below for details and previews of coming attractions. In addition to Kurt's radio and television interviews, nearly 60 articles & reviews have introduced The Gate to fans around the world and chronicled the gigs on these extended road trips. Two of those were terrific cover stories in JazzTimes and Jazzwise magazines. v v v | |
Postcards from The Gate Tour  "Words and Music from Studio A," hosted by Rita Houston, WFUV-FM
February 8, 2011 Listen to the audio Kurt and the band performed a private concert for WFUV's members at Avatar Studios in New York on January 13. Set list: Steppin' Out, Samurai Cowboy, Norwegian Wood, After the Love Has Gone, and Golden Lady. Great KE interview with Rita Houston, too. "World Cafe," hosted by David Dye, WXPN-FM February 9, 2011
Listen to the audio
Kurt talks with host David Dye about each of the three songs he and the band performed at the live mini-concert in Philadelphia on January 14: Steppin' Out, Samurai Cowboy, and Norwegian Wood. In the second half of Kurt's segment, he shares his thoughts on five of his favorite jazz vocalists: Nancy King, Becca Stevens, Theo Bleckmann, Gregory Porter, and Kate McGarry. Weekend Edition Sunday with Liane Hansen, NPR February 20, 2011
Listen to the audio
Kurt and producer extraordinaire Don Was talk about The Gate with host Liane Hansen in this terrific 11:37 segment, which includes clips from Norwegian Wood, Golden Lady, and Blue in Green. "The Jazz House" with Stephen Duffy, BBC Radio Scotland March 3, 2011
Watch the video Video of Kurt performing "Stairway to the Stars" in the BBC studio, accompanied by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's fine pianist, Steve Hamilton. "Plastic," Dutch TV talk show, hosted by Joost Karhof March 20, 2011
Watch the video Kurt is interviewed from about 30:16-37:06. Then Joost Karhof begins to introduce Norwegian Wood, which Kurt and the band perform live from 37:32-41:00. The video begins after an advertisement -- be patient. Then move the broadcast progress slider to the 30:00 minute mark to catch Kurt's interview. "Was Lauf," Telebasel, Switzerland March 30, 2011
Watch the short video
Kurt's segment runs from the beginning until 01:47, including short clips from My Foolish Heart, Samurai Cowboy, and Estate from the gig at Stadtcasino in Basel on March 27. Their luggage was lost en route, but the show goes on -- just dressed informally. "In the studio with Kurt Elling," KPLU-FM, Seattle, WA April 15, 2011
Watch the video, listen to the program, and enjoy the photos
Video of Samurai Cowboy is also on YouTube
Kurt, Laurence Hobgood, and John McLean visited KPLU in April and played for a live studio audience. The video is Samurai Cowboy. The 20-minute audio includes Samurai Cowboy, Estate, and a great scatting blues jam with a cool Monk quote at the end. Between songs, Kurt talks about his youth as a singer in his father's church choirs and, more recently, the benefits of working with producer extraordinaire, Don Was, on Elling's latest CD, The Gate. PLUS: An amazing collection of print interviews, cover stories, articles, and rave reviews Check out the headlines
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Last October, the Kurt Elling Quartet, with special guest Bob Sheppard on saxophone, headlined the 21th Wangaratta Jazz Festival in Australia. ABC National Radio Australia recorded Kurt's performances.
Last call: The 68-minute podcast of Kurt's performance at the 2010 Wangaratta Jazz Festival will only be available for a little while longer.
The Jazztrack Live Recording: Kurt Elling page has the audio, the full set list, and great photos, too. Don't miss it!
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Once again, Kurt Elling is a finalist for the Jazz Journalists Association award for Male Singer of the Year. Kurt has won this prestigious award six times before, in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.
Other nominees this year are Freddy Cole, Giacomo Gates, Bobby McFerrin, and Gregory Porter.
Professional members of the JJA vote to select winners from more than 200 finalist nominees in 39 categories of excellence in music creation and music journalism.
Winners will be announced at the 15th annual JJA Jazz Awards Gala on June 11, 2011 at City Winery, NYC and simultaneously via live streaming video to be viewed online and at satellite parties.
Congratulations to all the finalists -- and best of luck to Kurt!
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KE Forum Drawings: The Winners!
We've just concluded the drawings in the Forum on Kurt's website for those who submitted comments about The Gate or gigs during The Gate Tour. The prizes were K-Ephemera, including copies of Kurt's first book, Lyrics, KE t-shirts as modeled here by one of our winners, and working charts in Laurence's very own hand.  These are the eleven lucky winners in our random drawings:
GeoffC Iqpilates
Lauren Lucille mjr
JazzSailor Tamara_Lea
James in Omaha FreeYoMynd
TroyGies (Go Gusties '91) Karina
Richard Coreno If you're a winner and you haven't claimed your prize yet, please make your selection soon! Congratulations to the winners, thanks for all the wonderful comments about The Gate, and thanks to everyone for playing!
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Kurt Elling with Laurence Hobgood, and featuring John Patitucci, John McLean, Bob Mintzer, Terreon Gully, Kobie Watkins, and Lenny Castro. Produced by Don Was. 
Current Amazon price: $14.73
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Buy one for yourself & one as a gift!
Watch the behind-the-scenes
video and listen to Don Was
talk about The Gate, Kurt, and the band.
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 Short TakesThe Gate is still in the top 3 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart for the week ending May 2, 2011. This is its eleventh week on the chart. Nine of those weeks it's been #1!
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Kurt's next master classes are Wednesday, May 11, and Thursday, May 12, from 10:00 am to noon, at Michiko Rehearsal Studios in mid-town Manhattan.
The Wednesday class is still open. There are just a few auditing spaces left for Thursday.
Cost: Participants (singing) - $125 or Auditors (listening only) - $60. If you've taken a KE master class before, you may audit again for only $30. To reserve a spot, for details, or to be notified of future master classes, please e-mail teaching@kurtelling.com v Chicago jazz icon Von Freeman will be named a "Jazz Master" for 2012 by the National Endowment of the Arts. The octogenarian tenor saxophonist who has become synonymous with Chicago jazz, Von Freeman played on Kurt's first CD, Close Your Eyes, and on Live in Chicago, which was recorded at the Green Mill. Kurt's vocalese on "I Like the Sunrise" ( Nightmoves) is an adaptation of a Rumi poem over a Von Freeman solo from Freeman's 2001 recording, The Improvisor. Bravo and congratulations to "Vonski"!v Kurt's travel is climate-friendly. He buys carbon offsets from Carbon Fund to reduce the carbon footprint from his air travel on tours.v |
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| MAY Gigs |
May 20-21, 2011
FOUR SHOWS
Kurt Elling Quartet with John McLean
JC's Club
Çiragan Caddesi Salhane Sok No.10
Istanbul, TURKEY
May 23-24, 2011
TWO SETS EACH NIGHT
Kurt Elling Quartet with John McLean
Zappa Club
Ziv Towers Raul Wallenberg 24
Tel Aviv, ISRAEL
May 25, 2011
Kurt Elling Quartet with John McLean
Blue Note Milan
Via Borsieri 37
Milan, ITALY
May 26, 2011
Kurt Elling Quartet with John McLean
New Morning Club
7 & 9 Rue des Petites Ecuries
Paris, FRANCE
May 27, 2011
Kurt Elling Quartet with John McLean
Elbjazz Festival
Port of Hamburg
Hamburg, GERMANY May 28, 2011
Kurt Elling Quartet with John McLean
Budapest Jazz Club
Múzeum utca 7
Budapest, HUNGARY Coming up in June Kurt and the band play dates in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Kingston, Ontario; Ottawa; Toronto; Interlochen, MI; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Kurt also performs June 10 in Chicago with Bill Charlap, Ken Peplowski, Jeremy Pelt, & Jimmy Greene in the show
United Sounds of America: New York City. And they're coming home to the Green Mill July 1-2! Kurt's upcoming gigs in 2011 are on the Touring page on his website. That's where you'll always find the most current information. Check there often, as new dates are always being added. To bring the KEQ to a stage near you Kurt and Laurence are on the road about 200 nights a year. They only perform where they've been invited and they don't get to set their own itinerary. To hear Kurt and the band play in your city, region, or country, please ask your favorite jazz clubs or festivals to book them through Ted Kurland Associates. Thank you! |
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Your Moment of Elling . . .
There is a transcendent intention behind the singing.
I grew up with music being tied to the consciousness
of moving people to a higher plane of experience.
Of ecstasy if possible, of healing, of feeling better
and being reminded of the humane possibilities.
Music should move people
to higher planes of consciousness.
And help them forget their troubles.
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