Kurt Elling at Ethno Jazz Festival: a jazz baritone and the world of “The Questions”

Born in Chicago in 1967, Elling sang Bach motets in choirs from an early age while being fascinated by Tony Bennet and Woody Herman’s band. His long-standing interest in classical singing gave him extraordinary vocal abilities. At 20, he began his jazz career, initially singing in seedy Chicago bars and clubs. Only in 1995 did he feel confident enough to make his first recordings. When legendary Blue Note Records head Bruce Lundvall heard his tape, he immediately signed him.

Elling’s debut album, “Close Your Eyes”, was an enormous success. The singer recorded six albums for Blue Note, all of which received Grammy nominations. Already enjoying legendary status, he moved to Concord Records in 2006, then to the dynamic Okeh label, for which he recorded his latest album, “The Questions”. Released in March 2018 and featuring Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo among others, it opens with Bob Dylan’s famous protest song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”. The album includes songs by Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel alongside compositions for which Elling wrote his own intriguing lyrics.

Special praise is also due to his band, currently comprising fantastic pianist Stu Mindenam, bassist Clark Sommers, drummer Kendrick Scott, praised by Herbie Hancock, and the broadly trained guitarist John McLean. A phenomenal concert awaits: at 51, Elling is at the height of his vocal powers! The whole world has fallen in love with the American’s four-octave baritone. Wrocław fell for his voice during Jazz nad Odrą 2013 and two years ago, when he guested at Branford Marsalis’s National Forum of Music concert. Those were only a foretaste of what awaits audiences on 18 October!

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