South Florida JAZZ Presents the Incomparable Kurt Elling, the Grammy-Awarded, Best Male Jazz Vocalist According to All Jazz Polls

South Florida JAZZ Presents the Incomparable Kurt Elling, the Grammy-Awarded, Best Male Jazz Vocalist According to All Jazz Polls

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- South Florida's premier modern jazz organization is excited to present vocalist Kurt Elling on Saturday, June 11, 2011, 8:00 PM. This concert will take place at the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on the Nova Southeastern University campus, 3100 Ray Ferrero, Jr. Blvd. in Davie. Tickets are $40 ($15 for students) and can be purchased from the Broward Center box office directly; by calling 954.462.0222 or toll-free at 877.301.7469; or online at http://www.southfloridajazz.org.

ABOUT KURT ELLING

Chicago native Kurt Elling is the most accomplished male jazz singer extant. In a career spanning 15 years, 42-year-old Elling has risen to international prominence as a jazz artist and singer. Each of his seven albums for Blue Note and the first two on Concord records were nominated for Grammy Awards. His 2009 CD, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, the second on Concord Records, was recorded live at Lincoln Center and won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Kurt's latest recording, The Gate, was released in March 2011 and of course features pianist-arranger and producer Laurence Hobgood, who commands the helm of a quartet with guitarist John Mclean, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Ulysses Owens. On The Gate, Mr. Elling lyrically caresses and melodically illuminates the lush and gorgeous tunes from the new American Songbook. It is likely to raise some eyebrows. Kurt Elling has topped the DownBeat and JazzTimes Readers and Critics polls every year since 2000 and won the Jazz Journalists Association award six times for Best Male Vocalist.

Kurt's rich baritone voice spans four octaves and he displays both astonishing technical facility and emotional depth. He has an awesome command of rhythm, texture, phrasing, and dynamics, often sounding more like a virtuoso jazz instrumentalist than a singer. His repertoire ranges from his own compositions to modern interpretations of standards, both of which can be the springboard for free form improvisation, scatting, spoken words, poetry, and rants. As composer and lyricist, Kurt Elling has written scores of his own compositions and has mastered "vocalese," the art of setting lyrics to the songs and improvised solos of many jazz masters. And no one can match his scatting for speed, dexterity and invention.

In addition to his extraordinary work as an artist, Kurt Elling served as a national trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) beginning in 1999. In 2003, he was elected Vice Chair of that 17,000-member service organization and served two successful terms. While Vice Chairman, Elling was effective in opening up new channels of communication within the Academy. He helped create and hosted the first two annual Recording Academy Salutes to Jazz. He oversaw the creation of the Academy's Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards Review Committee, and continues as its chairman.

A true Renaissance man, Kurt Elling remains among the most interesting figures in the world of modern music and poetry, both at a musical and intellectual level.

Funding for this organization is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

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SOURCE South Florida JAZZ

South Florida JAZZ

CONTACT: Ronald B. Weber MD, +1-954-424-4440

Web Site: http://www.southfloridajazz.org

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