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Kurt Elling
Elling may be the greatest male Jazz singer of all time. ~ Jazz Review
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August 2012:
Jazz from Newport, Rhode Island to Newtown, Joburg, South Africa
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On the Road with Kurt
 August is another month of international travel on three continents for Kurt!
With his Quintet he performs on Friday, August 4 at Music at Gretna 2012, the annual summer music series in Mt. Gretna, Pennsylvania. Then they travel to the Newport Jazz Festival for a show Sunday afternoon, August 5. Kurt caps off his day at Newport with John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet +1, along with vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Then he's off to France to perform with the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra at Jazz at Marciac on Friday, August 10. On August 13, Kurt opens the Oslo Jazz Festival with the Norwegian big band, the Kaba Orchestra, under the musical direction of Laurence Hobgood. Finally, Kurt and the Quintet take their very first trip to the African continent and play two shows at Joy of Jazz in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 24 and 25. Bon voyage and safe travels, gentlemen! | |
Since 1954, the legendary Newport Jazz Festival has brought the very best of live jazz to this magnificent seaside setting in New England. Kurt first performed at Newport in 2001, just before the release of Flirting With Twilight. Now he's back for not just one but two performances on Sunday, August 5. This time he's previewing his upcoming album, 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project, which will be released on the Concord label on September 25th.
 | | Erik Jacobs for NPR |
The first show brings the Kurt Elling Quintet to the Quad Stage at 12:20 pm on Sunday.
Kurt says, "We will be more or less premiering several arrangements from 1619 Broadway at that set, so a lot of potential excitement there. But we'll also be celebrating some things that we'll be retiring for a bit. I believe we'll only have 50 minutes or so and will need to be done on time for the festival stage to keep working. My plan is to hit 'em hard and walk away."
Kurt's second performance is with John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet +1 at 4:40 pm on the Harbor Stage.
Kurt and vocalist Theo Bleckmann, who's also appearing, are on the 2011 Claudia Quintet's recording of Kenneth Patchen's poetry, What Is the Beautiful? The Newport Jazz Festival is offering a free download Kurt's version of "Job" from What Is the Beautiful? here.
Can't make it to Newport this year? NPR's got you covered with a live webcast of both days of the outdoor festival, Saturday & Sunday, August 4 & 5! Check out the full Newport Jazz Festival schedule and then tune in live. They also promise that some recordings will be available later. Stay tuned . . .
Full schedule for both days is here.
Watch NPR's live webcast. Both of Kurt's performances will be included.
#newportjazz
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In the spotlight: Kendrick Scott
Drummer Kendrick "KADS" Scott takes over the drum chair in Kurt's band this month, and he's also featured on Kurt's forthcoming album, 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project.Since 2003, Kendrick has toured with Terence Blanchard's band, starting just months after graduating from Berklee College of Music. He's also recorded and toured with many other jazz greats, among them Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Pat Metheny, Robert Glasper, Joe Sample, and many others. He's played on Spike Lee film soundtracks and has appeared on numerous recordings as a sideman. Now based in New York, Kendrick was born and raised in Houston, Texas in a family of musicians. His parents and older brother were involved in the music ministry. "As a kid, I remember listening to the music at church and feeling chills in my body. I knew then, that music was my calling."At 32, he's not only a gifted and in-demand drummer, but also a very talented composer and orchestrator, educator, and flutist. In addition, he's a businessman and founder of the World Culture Music record label, which he launched with the release of his 2007 album, Kendrick Scott Oracle, The Source. Kendrick wrote the title tune for The Source which also appeared on Terence Blanchard's 2005 Blue Note album, Flow, produced by Herbie Hancock. Flow received two Grammy nominations, one for best instrumental jazz album and one for best instrumental solo for Hancock's playing on Scott's composition. Hancock declared, "Kendrick is not just a timekeeper; he is a musician with big ears and a great imagination."Terence Blanchard agrees. "Kendrick is a true artist of the highest order. He is not bound by the conventional wisdom of the music world. I've noticed that he never says why, but rather why not. He is exactly what the music world needs: someone with the vision and courage to press forward and expand the world of music." Kendrick's band is named Oracle "because we send out the messages to the people. We let you find your own answers. The oracle doesn't give answers, just questions to think about." He adds, "The Source is an homage to humanity. While the world is at unrest, I believe compassion will prevail."  Now Kendrick brings his many gifts to Kurt's band. He says, "Kurt possesses a unique instrument that has the ability to cross the divides in what people may consider a jazz singer. He is a great jazz musician who plants himself firmly in tradition and innovation equally."And the admiration is mutual. Kurt says, "I am very proud to welcome Kendrick to our team. He is an innovative artist who has dedicated his life to the future of music. He invented a number of grooves for "1619 Broadway" that will end up defining the sound of the record in listeners' ears, and he will THRILL our fans on the October tour." Watch: Kendrick Scott Oracle Live at Joe's Pub Listen: Kendrick Scott And Oracle: Live At Berklee
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 Now in its thirteenth year, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz takes place August 23-25 in the Newtown Cultural precinct of Johannesburg, South Africa.
The annual festival attracts an audience of 20,000 jazz lovers across seven venues.
This year Kurt Elling headlines the Joy of Jazz,
performing shows on Friday, August 24 on the Dinaledi Stage in Mary Fitzgerald Square and then at Bassline on Saturday, August 25. He joins a stellar lineup of 40 international and local artists, including master guitarist Earl Klugh, trombone ace Wycliffe Gordon, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, as well as South African jazz musicians such as Jimmy Dludlu, Caiphus Semenya and Bakithi Kumalo.
Says Kurt, "Of course I am thrilled to be making my first stop on the African Continent. I am looking forward to performing and also to hearing as much music as I possibly can."
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 Hey jazz fans, it's time to vote in the 77th Annual Downbeat Readers poll!You don't even have to subscribe - just love jazz.
Kurt has topped the DownBeat Readers Poll six times before, including last year. He's been named Male Vocalist of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll for the past 13 years straight, including this year.
Let's make it a clean sweep again this year with another KE win in the Readers Poll.
You can vote right now - on line, just as you are. Doesn't take long, and it's fun! Just go to the DownBeat website and click the VOTE 77th Annual Readers Poll button in the upper left-hand corner. This year there are 34 categories. DownBeat provides popular selections in each category for your convenience, but of course you're not limited to those. You can vote for anyone not on the list by typing in the name at My Choice at the end of each question. You don't have to vote in every category, and you can exit the survey before you're done and come back later if you like. Voting is open until midnight on Tuesday evening, August 21, 2012. The results will be reported in the December issue of DownBeat magazine. | |
Encore: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter, with Derrek Phillips
In July Kurt, guitarist Charlie Hunter, and drummer Derrek Phillips played 14 get-down and groovin' shows in 8 countries to very appreciative crowds and critical acclaim, and then they took a victory lap with one last show in New York the very night they returned from Europe.
Even the usually staid Financial Times gave their show in Copenhagen 4 stars and said:
Kurt Elling, guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Derek Phillips charmed the pants off a late afternoon audience in the garden of the Christians Kirke. Hunter plays bass, rhythm and lead simultaneously, brilliant at each, and Elling has a vocal range and panache to match. It was a lovely gig, with an unexpected highlight, Del Shannon's "Runaway" transformed into a menacing account of lost possibilities.
Magnet Magazine's Mitch Myers wrote:
Elling charmed the crowd with a number of jazzified pop songs while Hunter filled out the sound playing lead, rhythm and bass parts on his seven-string guitar - simultaneously. Opening with Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me," the band twisted the rock tune into a swinging jazz anthem. Elling occasionally used a phase-shifter on his voice, giving a trippy, futuristic bent to the proceedings. He was in really fine form, segueing easily from Del Shannon's "Runaway," into mournful Hank Williams tune "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Hunter was funky as hell on the strings, and he somehow made the three-piece band sound like a party of five. Elling traded percussive scat vocals with Phillips before closing with a mind-blowing version of "Fly Like An Eagle." This gig was completely weird but still made perfect sense. And it was fun.
Check out these tunes from the tour:
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 On July 19, 2012, The Scottish Jazz Federation and Jazz International presented the third annual Scottish Jazz Awards in a glittering ceremony at The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh. These awards acknowledge and recognize excellence across all styles of jazz in Scotland. Jazz singer and entertainer Ian Shaw hosted the ceremony. This is the first year they've included an International category, and Kurt is the winner! The other nominees were Randy Brecker and Peter Erskine. Kurt's award was presented by saxophonist Tommy Smith, director of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. Because Kurt was on tour, he videotaped his acceptance speech which was very well received during the ceremony. Kurt commented, "I am humbled to be remembered by my Scottish fans. I made some lifelong friends in Scotland while catching great jazz artists in Edinburgh back in the late '80s, when I was doing a year abroad. The Scots culture has a special resonance in my heart. To be returning as a jazz singer myself and to be taken up by Scottish Jazz fans is a wonderful thrill for me."The full list of winners is here. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and especially to Kurt! | |
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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. 
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
Kurt's brand new album, 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project, will be released on September 25 in the United States and a little later internationally. It's his tenth album and the fourth for Concord. Musicians include Laurence Hobgood, piano; Clark Sommers, bass; Kendrick Scott, drums; and John McLean, guitar.  It celebrates the music of the Brill Building, the most famous music address in the world.
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| AUGUST Gigs |
August 4, 2012Kurt Elling Quintet Music at Gretna 2012Mt. Gretna Playhouse Pennsylvania & Carnegie Avenues Mt. Gretna, PA August 5, 2012Kurt Elling Quintet Quad Stage Newport Jazz FestivalFort Adams State Park Harrison Avenue Newport, RI August 5, 2012John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet + 1 featuring Kurt Elling and Theo Bleckmann on vocals Harbor Stage Newport Jazz FestivalFort Adams State Park Harrison Avenue Newport, RI August 10, 2012Kurt Elling and the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra Jazz in Marciac 2012Chapiteau Chemin de la Sape Marciac, FRANCE August 13, 2012Kurt Elling with the Kaba Orchestra Oslo Jazz FestivalDen Norske Opera & Ballett Kirsten Flagstads Plass 1 Oslo, NORWAY August 24, 2012Kurt Elling Quartet Joy of Jazz - Dinaledi StageMary Fitzgerald Square, Henry Nxumalo Drive Newtown Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA August 25, 2012Kurt Elling Quartet Joy of Jazz - Bassline10 Henry Nxumalo Street Newtown Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA
Coming up!
On September 25, 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project will be released in the United States. Stay tuned for street dates in other countries and much more news!
In October, the Kurt Elling Quintet embarks on their extensive 1619 Broadway tour, introducing this great new music to fans along the West Coast and then back to Lincoln Center in New York, Florida, Chicago, Boston, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The tour continues in November and beyond.
All of Kurt's upcoming gigs in 2012 and 2013 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 . . .
The goal is to attempt on a given night
to play a melody - even if you're playing
a composition that you've played
a hundred times before -
to find some sequence of notes
that you, as the individual artist,
and potentially no one has ever played before.
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