Kurt Elling

Jazz singing at its virtuosic, life-affirming, risk-taking best  ~ The Arts Desk   

 
November 2014: Gratitude, Thanksgiving, and Jazz!


Kurt's November Concerts

Kurt kicks off November with a rousing program of Freedom Songs with the WDR Big Band, conducted by Rich DeRosa, at Jazzfest Berlin on November 1.

Freedom Songs celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Berlin Jazz Festival
which was held in 1964, just 3 years after the Berlin Wall was constructed. It also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Wall in 1989, as well as the American civil rights movement & the end of apartheid in South Africa.

Check out this short video interview of Kurt talking about Freedom Songs
with Lucas Schmid, WDR Big Band Producer.

Tune in to the LIVE radio broadcast on WDR 3 at 9:30 pm CET (UTC+1) on Saturday, November 1.

The program will also be available on WDR 3 for 30 days so you listen to it at your convenience.


For more details about the broadcast, listening later, & the Freedom Songs program, click here.
Autumn leaf
Next Kurt performs with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, conducted by Nabil Shehata, for two concerts on November 6-7 in Spain. With Kurt this time are Mads B�rentzen (piano), Ben Wolfe (bass), and Donald Edwards (drums).

Then Kurt's off to London for the opening night of the London Jazz Festival on November 14. He performs in Jazz Voice: Celebrating a Century of Song, along with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Emma Smith, Georgie Fame, Jacob Banks, Sachal, & Vula Malinga, alongside a fantastic 40-piece orchestra. Conducted, arranged, and scored by Guy Barker, this gala this concert will be broadcast LIVE on BBC Radio 3 from 7:30-10:00 pm GMT/UTC. After November 7, please check Kurt's Touring page for the broadcast link so you can listen to it live on line.

Next Kurt returns to the US to present "Elling Swings Sinatra" with his Quintet at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on November 20. The band for this concert  includes Emmet Cohen (piano), Hans Sturm (bass), Bryan Carter (drums), and John McLean (guitar), plus special guests Paul Haar (saxophone) and Darryl White (trumpet).

And finally Kurt performs with the Metropole Orkest, conducted by Jules Buckley, at the Edison Jazz / World Awards Gala in Eindhoven, Netherlands on November 27.

Edison Jazz / World 2014

Kurt Elling is being honored with the prestigious 2014 Edison Jazz Oeuvreprijs, the Edison's Lifetime Achievement Award for Jazz!  Previously Kurt won the 2011 Edison Award for Vocal Jazz for The Gate.

On Thursday, November 27th, the Edison Jazz / World Awards Gala takes place at Muziekgebouw Frits Philips in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Kurt will perform with the Metropole Orkest, conducted by Jules Buckley, and the other Edison winners, yet to be announced, will perform as well.

The Edison is the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy, the German ECHO, and the UK Brit Awards. It's one of the oldest music awards in the world; only the Grammy is older by one year.

Named in tribute to Thomas Alva Edison, there are three award categories: Edison Jazz / World, Edison Pop, and Edison Klassiek, each with its own professional jury. There are only four annual Edison Jazz / World awards, plus one for best DVD and one for Special Historical Edition. The Edison award is a bronze statue made by sculptor Pieter d'Hont.

The full list of Edison Jazz / World 2014 nominees is here.

Bravo and many congratulations to Kurt for this great honor!


Eighth notes New KE Recorded Collaborations
 
Saxophonist Jimmy Greene's new release, Beautiful Life (available November 25 on Mack Avenue Records), is a celebration of the life of his 6-year-old daughter, Ana M�rquez-Greene, whose life was tragically taken, along with 19 other children and 6 educators, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012.
Jimmy Greene - Beautiful Life
Jimmy said that he wants "the music to reflect the way that Ana lived," so for the first time he decided to weave lyrics and singers into the flow on one of his recordings. "Ana loved to sing and listen to singers, and she had a wonderful singing voice. An album dedicated to her memory needed to have singers and songs that were important to her and me and my family."

In a penetrating, heartbreaking, and graceful interpretation, Kurt performs "Ana's Way," along with the Linden Christian School Early Years Choir, comprised of Ana's & her brother Isaiah's classmates from Winnipeg. It's one of the featured vocal tracks on the album. Greene & pianist Renee Rosnes distill the oceanic emotions of the lyric.

Kurt says, "I was humbled and grateful to be asked to be a part of this important project. I have known Jimmy as a well-respected musician for several years, but his example as a man of faith and personal strength is what takes center stage here. The healing nature of music has only rarely been brought to bear more clearly in a jazz context. I sincerely encourage all my friends and fans to join me in supporting Beautiful Life."

To pre-order, visit Amazon or iTunes. Stay tuned for more information about Beautiful Life in December!


Kurt is also a guest artist on Christmas in New York, Ren�e Fleming's first-ever holiday album!

Fleming's guests include jazz masters Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, and Gregory Porter, plus pop & Broadway stars.

Ren�e Fleming: Christmas in New York 
Kurt sings Snowbound and the traditional carol Still, Still, Still with Ren�e.

For more about Christmas in New York, including personal comments from Kurt & Ren�e and the full track listing, click here. To order, visit Amazon or iTunes.  

 

And watch for Ren�e Fleming's Christmas special on PBS in December! She's joined by select guests from the album, including Kurt Elling, Kelli O'Hara, Gregory Porter and Rufus Wainwright.

 

November - December Gigs
November 1, 2014
Freedom Songs - SOLD OUT! 
Kurt Elling with the WDR Big Band

Conducted by Richard DeRosa

Jazzfest Berlin

Haus der Berliner Festspiele

Schaperstra�e 24

10719 Berlin

GERMANY
This concert will be broadcast LIVE on WDR 3 Radio from 9:30-10:40 pm CET (UTC+1).
 

November 6-7, 2014

TWO SHOWS

Kurt Elling with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa

Conducted by Nabil Shehata

Euskalduna Palace

Calle Euskalduna, 4

48008 Bilbao

SPAIN

November 11, 2014
A Jazz Conversation: Kurt Elling & Guy Barker

Crazy Coqs

20 Sherwood Street
London W1F 7ED

ENGLAND

November 14, 2014
Jazz Voice: Celebrating a Century of Song, with
Kurt Elling, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Emma Smith, Georgie Fame, Jacob Banks, Sachal, & Vula Malinga

Orchestra conducted & with arrangements by Guy Barker

EFG London Jazz Festival

Barbican

Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS

ENGLAND

This concert will be broadcast LIVE on BBC Radio 3 from 7:30-10:00 pm GMT (UTC).

November 15, 2014
Kurt Elling and Chloe Charles
With Jazz Fan Guest Michael Connarty MP, Parliamentary Jazz Committee
Jazz @ Metropolis

November 20, 2014

Kurt Elling Quintet

Elling Swings Sinatra 

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
Kurt Elling receives the 2014 Edison Jazz Oeuvreprijs,
a Lifetime Achievement Award!

December 10, 2014

Kurt Elling with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw

Conducted by Dennis Mackrel

Koninklijk Concertgebouw 

Concertgebouwplein 10

1071 LN Amsterdam

NETHERLANDS

December 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

NETHERLANDS

December 13, 2014

Kurt 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. 

Bringing 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. Thank you!


Happy Birthday candles

On November 2nd, 
Kurt celebrates his 47th orbit 
around the sun. 
His many fans & friends worldwide 
wish him the jazziest of birthdays 
& many happy returns!



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Your Moment of Elling . . .


Kurt Elling - American Tune (Paul Simon), performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, October 13, 2012
Kurt Elling - American Tune music & lyrics by Paul SimonPerformed by the KEQ Jazz at Lincoln Center, October 13, 2012


__________________



I'm an artist 
who's working now, 
whose work is contemporary 
and futurist in orientation, 
but who brings the past along 
to inform 
what happens.


Our fullness is mirrored 
in our art. 
Develop yourself
as you would your art.
Be HERE now.
Tragedies can make us stronger
not weaker.
We try to understand
by wedding our intuitive side
to our intellect.
The chief task of the artist
is to create
further mystery.