Kurt Elling - Nightmoves

One of the artist that will perform in Java Jazz 2008 is Kurt Elling. Chicago vocalist Kurt Elling's limber and deep tenor voice is at home in a myriad of idioms, from straight-ahead, Latin, and pop, to poetry, and his wide artistic range is fully reflected in his Concord debut. As in his six previous recordings, his longtime pianist-arranger Laurence Hobgood is at the helm of his trio, with special guests including bassist Christian McBride, Yellowjackets saxophonist Bob Mintzer, and the Escher String Quartet. Building on Jon Hendricks's and Eddie Jefferson's scat-vocalese styles, Elling lyrically caresses and melodically illuminates Michael Franks' title track, jazz diva Betty Carter's angular "Tight," and the rarely-performed Duke Ellington number "I Like the Sunrise." The Guess Who's 1969 rock cut "Undun," surprisingly, comes off, as does the bossa nova "Change Partners/If You Never Come to Me," with its reference to Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Useless Landscape." The question is: what can't he sing? This is just great. Enjoy!

1. Kurt Elling - Nightmoves (4:24)
2. Kurt Elling - Tight (2:55)
3. Kurt Elling - Change Partners/If You Never Come to Me (7:39)
4. Kurt Elling - Undun (5:09)
5. Kurt Elling - Where Are You, My Love? (5:26)
6. Kurt Elling - And We Will Fly (4:22)
7. Kurt Elling - Luiza (4:18)
8. Kurt Elling - The Waking (4:11)
9. Kurt Elling - The Sleepers (5:29)
10. Kurt Elling - Leaving Again/In The Wee Small Hours (5:05)
11. Kurt Elling - A New Body and Soul (10:21)
12. Kurt Elling - I Like the Sunrise (6:57)
13. Kurt Elling - Well, Did You Evah (What a Swell Party This Is) (2:47)

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