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Kurt Elling
He has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz ~ The Washington Post
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December 2011: Celebrate and #Occupy the Light
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In the dark of winter, we celebrate
the season of Light!
Kurt exclaims, Merry Everything! Or at least, let's attempt it. After all, it is a commandment also to be joyful on the Earth.
Bodhi Day, when Siddhartha Gautama vowed to sit under a tree until he was enlightened, is December 8. Buddha means the "awakened one."
In the Jewish tradition, Hannukah, which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, is December 20-28.
In the northern hemisphere, the Light returns at the winter solstice, December 22, at 5:30 am GMT.
Christmas is December 25, and the twelve days of Christmas end on Epiphany, January 6.
So this December, make merry, make a jazzy joyful noise, and step out . . . into the Light.
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The Gate gets the Grammy nomination!
On November 30, the 54th annual GRAMMY nominations were announced in Los Angeles, and Kurt was honored with his ninth Grammy nomination for The Gate in the Best Jazz Vocal category. The Gate is Kurt's most recent release on the Concord label.
Every one of Kurt's albums has been Grammy nominated. Nine albums, eleven nominations in all -- that's excellence!
Produced by Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan), The Gate is a musical collection in which boundaries cease to exist.
The Gate points Elling in a new and satisfyingly emotional direction. He has somehow found a way to make a deeply personal statement out of the music of King Crimson, Joe Jackson, Stevie Wonder and the Beatles -- in addition to providing a new and vibrant understanding of Miles Davis, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock.
The Gate features longtime associate Laurence Hobgood on piano, Bob Mintzer on sax, John McLean on guitar, John Patitucci on bass, and two drummers, Terreon Gulley and Kobie Watkins, in addition to percussionist Lenny Castro.
The Grammy Awards ceremony will be held February 12, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on CBS.
Congratulations to Kurt and Laurence for this well-deserved nomination, this enchanting album, and their dedication to the fine art of jazz. Bravo, gentlemen!
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Lyrics
Kurt Elling Second Edition The new, expanded edition of Kurt's book of original lyrics is almost here! The jazz elves who stock the shelves in Kurt's Store expect the shipment any day now -- just in time for holiday giving.
This elegantly designed book contains 33 lyrics, 27 from the first edition and 6 new ones, plus Kurt's expanded introduction on vocalese.
The new lyrics include Waking the Dreamclock (2008), Samurai Cowboy (2008), Late Night Willie (2009), La Vie en Rose (2010), Love's a Tangled Road (2010), and They Speak No Evil (2010).
This book is a must for serious collectors, those doing research, and anyone who wants a special Kurt Elling keepsake. It also makes an awesome stocking stuffer. Visit Kurt's Store for your copy. Lyrics was edited by Richard Connolly and designed and published by Circumstantial Productions. | |
The Gate wins the 2011 Edison Jazz/World Award
The prestigious 2011 Edison award for Vocal Jazz has been awarded to Kurt Elling for The Gate. The Edison is considered the Dutch Grammy.
The Edison is one of the oldest music awards in the world. Only the Grammy is older by one year. The first Edison was awarded in 1960.
Named in tribute to Thomas Alva Edison, there are three award categories: Edison Jazz/World, Edison Pop, and Edison Klassiek (Classical), each with its own professional jury. Prizes are awarded to artists whose recordings over the last year are considered by the jury to be the best achievement in their genre.
In the Vocal Jazz category, this year's award goes to The Gate. According to the jury, The Gate was tastefully produced by Don Was and shows impressive craftsmanship. Outstanding!
There are only four annual Edison jazz awards, plus one for best DVD and one for Special Historical Edition.
Vincent van Engelen, chairman of the jury for the Edison Jazz/World award, personally presented the Edison statue to Kurt in Leverkusen, Germany during the KEQ tour. He also interviewed Kurt for the Dutch Radio 6 program, Co Live. You can listen to the interview here. Kurt's segment runs from 2:16:25 to 2:58:30.
Many congratulations to Kurt and everyone involved in making The Gate!
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On November 4, Kurt was interviewed on Orbert Davis's radio show, "The Real Deal."
Their hour-long conversation is a real delight! They've been friends for a long time and had a great time together.
You can now listen to the podcast in "The Real Deal" archives. Enjoy!
Davis is an acclaimed trumpet player in Chicago. He's also the founder and director of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and Associate Professor of music at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
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Where's Kurt?
Kurt performed in 134 shows in 74 cities in 24 countries this year!
Most of those dates were with the Kurt Elling Quintet featuring John McLean on guitar.
Kurt also performed with the Klüvers Big Band; the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra; the Nashville Symphony; Richard Galliano; John Pizzarelli; Ernie Watts; Bill Charlap, Ken Peplowski, Jeremy Pelt, & Jimmy Greene; Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau, & the Metropole Orchestra; Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Glen Hansard, Aimee Mann, Wayne Shorter & Cassandra Wilson; Welz Kauffman; Dee Dee Bridgewater, Chaka Khan, Jane Monheit and Dianne Reeves, Aretha Franklin, & Jennifer Hudson; Miguel Zenón, Lew Tabackin, Ravi Coltrane, Robin Eubanks, & Stefon Harris; and more.
And 2012 is shaping up as another fine year with all new notes, new shows and great guest artists. Stay tuned...
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Do you hear what I hear? Hip musical gifts from Kurt to delight you!
Listen: The New Year's Song -- a New Year's Eve song
by Patricia Barber, with Kurt, Patricia, and Jim Gailloreto on tenor |
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Grammy nominated!
The Gate
Kurt Elling with Laurence Hobgood, and featuring John Patitucci, John McLean, Bob Mintzer, Terreon Gully, Kobie Watkins, and Lenny Castro. Produced by Don Was.
The perfect gift to introduce Kurt's music to all your jazz loving friends, or just because.
Steppin' Out, into the night, into the Light.
Watch the behind-the-scenes
video and listen to Don Was
talk about The Gate, Kurt, and the band.
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 Short Takes
This is the Kurt Elling Quintet's final gig of 2011 on December 4, at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. A benefit for KJazz 88.1, this holiday concert is SOLD OUT!
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Watch Kurt perform two songs that celebrate the light, Daydream and I Like the Sunrise, on One Shot Not, the French/German arts television program. This lovely ten-minute video will be available on line only until December 18, 2011.
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The Laurence Hobgood Sextet performs at the NYC Winter Jazzfest at (Le) Poisson Rouge on January 7 at 6:45 pm. They'll play all original LH compositions -- the best from his Green Mill gig in 2010 and some new tunes, too. The LH Sextet: Joel Frahm, tenor; Todd Bashore, alto; Brandon Lee, trumpet; Jared Schonig, drums; Matthew Rybicki, bass, and LH at the piano. He says the group will be super tight and ready to slam it. Come on out!
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| DECEMBER - JANUARY Gigs |
December 3, 2011
Kurt Elling Quintet
Science Center Theater
Montgomery County Community College
340 DeKalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA
December 4, 2011
Kurt Elling Quintet
KJazz 88.1 Presents: Jingle Jazz - SOLD OUT!
El Rey Theatre
5515 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
January 7, 2012
Laurence Hobgood Sextet
(Le) Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street
New York, NY
Note: Kurt Elling is not on this gig.
January 29 - February 5, 2012
Kurt Elling Quintet
The Jazz Cruise - SOLD OUT!
Sails from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Aruba, Curaçao, and Half Moon Cay & back.
Coming up!
In February Kurt brings Passion World to Chicago's Symphony Center on Valentine's Day, with special guests Regina Carter, violin, and Anat Cohen, clarinet and saxophone. Then he teams up with Lizz Wright for a special concert in Minneapolis on February 18.
Kurt's upcoming gigs in 2012 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 (by people who write checks!) 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 Kurt's new booking agency, IMN (International Music Network). Thank you! |
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Your Moment of Elling . . .
This, I think is our greatest and most humane task:
to show compassion to one another;
to remember and recognize the divine light
residing in each one of us.
To evolve as a species by lifting up all beings.
To begin in gentleness and peace within ourselves --
reconciled to our humility in this life
and also stepping boldly and creatively toward our birthright:
divine, transcendent identities.
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