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Kurt Elling
The standout male jazz vocalist of our time ~ The New York Times
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October 2014: Turning leaves and bountiful jazz
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Morning mists. Shorter days.
Golden leaves. Brisk chill air.
Crisp ripe apples.
And bright orange pumpkins.
The abundance of autumn
blesses us again.
Kurt Elling's Concerts
in October & November
The Kurt Elling Quintet, this time with Emmet Cohen (piano), Clark Sommers (bass), Kendrick Scott (drums), and John McLean (guitar), performs for the first time at Infinity Music Hall in Hartford, CT on Wednesday, October 1, at 8:00 pm. With its pristine acoustics & world-class sound system, Infinity Hall is a perfect venue to hear Kurt live. This is Kurt's only gig in New England until May 2015, so don't miss it!
Next they swing down to Birdland, in the heart of Manhattan, playing six shows over three nights. They'll be there from Thursday through Saturday, October 2-4, with shows at 8:30 and 11:00 each night. The 8:30 show on Saturday is already SOLD OUT! Some tickets for the others are still available. On Kurt's Birdland events page, scroll down to Related Events for ticket links for the other shows. Then on Sunday, October 5 at 7:30, they bring Passion World to the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Kurt performs internationally famous songs of love and loss in their native tongues to sweep you away on a grand, multicultural tour of exotic places, cultures, and times. Some tickets still available! In November, Kurt heads to Europe to perform with several big bands and orchestras, starting with a program of Freedom Songs with the WDR Big Band at Jazzfest Berlin on November 1, 2014 in celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago and the 50th anniversary of the Jazzfest. He performs with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa in Bilbao, Spain on November 6-7. Then he joins Dee Dee Bridgewater & other jazz vocalists for Jazz Voice: Celebrating a Century of Song on November 14, the opening night of the London Jazz Festival, with Guy Barker conducting a 40-piece orchestra. The Jazz Voice concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2. The Kurt Elling Quintet presents Passion World at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE on November 20.Then Kurt returns to Europe on November 27 to receive the 2014 Edison Jazz Oeuvreprijs, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and performs with the Metropole Orkest at the Edison Jazz | World Award Gala in Eindhoven, Netherlands.All of Kurt's November and December gigs are listed below and on his website Touring page.
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32 Front St
Hartford, CTBox office: 866.666.6306Thursday-SaturdayOctober 2-4, 20148:30 & 11:00 pm each nightBirdland315 W 44th St
New York, NY
Reservations: 212.581.3080 Sunday, October 5, 2014 7:30 pm Passion World Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts300 S Broad St
Philadelphia, PA
Tickets: 215.893.1999
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What's the state of Jazz in the
New Millennium?
Live & well!
That's how it's played. Long-time journalist and music writer Rick Mitchell has compiled nearly 60 conversational profiles of major jazz artists, from Living Masters to Rising Stars, into his new book, Jazz in the New Millennium: Live & Well.These profiles, written for the DaCamera Jazz Series in Houston, provide a living history of jazz in which the artists discuss their lives, their music, and the state of the art. Mitchell's 6000-word introduction puts 21st century jazz into perspective, honoring its roots and the rich, creative history of its first century. Jazz in the New Millennium helps us understand where jazz came from, where it's going, and where it is now - through the conversational portraits of living musicians.
Kurt is one of the Prime Time Players whom Mitchell profiles. He writes:
"...as much as any male vocal artist of his generation, [Elling] is the living, breathing definition of a pure jazz singer, the heir to both the smooth-toned balladeer tradition of Mel Tormé and the rhythmic and lyrical scat-gymnastics of Jon Hendricks. Add in the twisted sense of humor and spiritual impulse of a beat poet, and you have an artist who not only embodies the archetype of a jazz singer, but who has the potential to refine the art form."
Among the many jazz artists included are Living Masters like Wayne Shorter and Roy Haynes; Prime Time Players like Christian McBride and Dianne Reeves; and Rising Stars like Gerald Clayton, Anat Cohen, and Luciana Souza.
Now available in print and as an e-book, Jazz in the New Millennium: Live & Well is a great addition to your jazz library!
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 Short Takes
Kurt is a guest artist on "Christmas in New York, Renée Fleming's first-ever holiday album.
Kurt sings Snowbound and Still, Still, Still with Renée Fleming, whom he calls his "extraordinary friend."
Known as "The People's Diva," the legendary soprano says this recording "is not classical or operatic at all - the mood is very intimate and sophisticated."
Guests include jazz masters Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, & Gregory Porter, plus pop & Broadway stars. Pre-order now for its October 14 release on Decca.
And watch for Fleming's Christmas special on PBS in early December. Kurt is one of her musical guests!
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1619 Broadway - The Brill Building Project
Kurt Elling with Laurence Hobgood, and featuring John McLean, Clark Sommers, Kendrick Scott, Christian McBride, Ernie Watts, Joel Frahm, Tom Luer, and Kye Palmer Watch Kurt's video about 1619 Broadway & share it with your friends!  | |
Kurt Elling | 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project
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| OCTOBER-DECEMBER Gigs |
October 1, 2014
Kurt Elling Quintet
Infinity Hall
32 Front St
Hartford, CT
October 2-4, 2014SIX SHOWS - 8:30 & 11:00 each nightKurt Elling Quintet Birdland 315 W 44th St New York, NYOctober 5, 2014Kurt Elling Quintet Passion World Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts 300 S Broad St Philadelphia, PANovember 1, 2014
Freedom Songs
Kurt Elling with the WDR Big BandConducted & arranged by Richard DeRosa Jazzfest Berlin Haus der Berliner Festspiele Schaperstraße 24 10719 Berlin GERMANY
November 6-7, 2014 TWO SHOWS Kurt Elling with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa Conducted by Nabil Shehata Euskalduna Palace Calle Euskalduna, 4 48008 Bilbao SPAINNovember 14, 2014
Jazz Voice: Celebrating a Century of SongKurt Elling, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Emma Smith, Georgie Fame, Jacob Banks, Sachal, and Vula Malinga Conducted & arranged by Guy Barker EFG London Jazz Festival Barbican Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS ENGLAND This concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 from 7:30-10:00 pm UTC.November 20, 2014Kurt Elling Quintet Passion World Lied Center for Performing Arts University of Nebraska-Lincoln 301 N 12th St Lincoln, NE November 27, 2014 Kurt Elling with the Metropole Orkest Conducted by Jules Buckley Edison Jazz | World Award Gala Muziekgebouw Frits Philips Jan van Lieshoutstraat 3 5600 AX Eindhoven NETHERLANDS
December 10, 2014Kurt Elling with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw Conducted by Dennis Mackrel Koninklijk Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 10 1071 LN Amsterdam NETHERLANDSDecember 12, 2014 Kurt Elling with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw Conducted by Dennis Mackrel Muziekgebouw Frits Philips Jan van Lieshoutstraat 3 5600 AX Eindhoven NETHERLANDSDecember 13, 2014Kurt Elling with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw Conducted by Dennis Mackrel De Doelen Schouwburgplein 50 3012 CL Rotterdam NETHERLANDS
All of Kurt's gigs through May 2015 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 Kurt to a stage near you Kurt is on the road about 180 nights a year. To hear Kurt and the band play in your city, region, or country, please ask your favorite venues or festivals to book them through Kurt's booking agency, IMN (International Music Network). Thank you! |
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Your Moment of Elling . . .
The arts stimulate
and require the maximum amount of growth
in learning and problem-solving.
Therefore, artists tend to be the first
to realize the future
and to see it coming
and respond to it like flags that feel the wind
long before anything on the ground
realizes a sense of change.
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