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Kurt Elling.
(Union Chapel, London. 31 October 2023. Evaluation and pictures by John McGloin)
Kurt Elling launched the present with “Thanks for popping out to listen to some disgruntled jazz musicians mid week”. Because it turned out, disgruntled couldn’t have been farther from the reality.
The band hit the bottom working with a few tracks from album SuperBlue (“Sassy” and “Dharma Bums”) – prolonged variations with the American vocalist demonstrating his mastery of scatting. Each numbers had been extra uptempo, funkier and punchier than the studio variations, particularly with the brass part kicking in.
Kurt chatted about how SuperBlue happened due to Covid lockdown and the frustration from not having the ability to play dwell. He defined how the challenge had been written and recorded remotely with Charlie Hunter laying down “clear grooves” for him to develop and write lyrics.
The setlist included songs not written by Elling. One was a soulful model of PJ Morton’s “Sticking to My Weapons”. He talked about childhood recollections, remembering kids’s TV reveals like Bugs Bunny and struggles at school with arithmetic, particularly multiplication tables. This simply served as a segue right into a music by Bob Dorough, “Naughty Quantity 9”, written to assist be taught the 9 occasions desk! It’s the funkiest 9 occasions desk recital you’ll ever hear, drawing a number of wry smiles from the viewers.
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One other SuperBlue music, “Manic Panic Epiphanic”, introduced the temperature down and was handled nearly as a ballad. In direction of the tip, Elling determined viewers participation was wanted and divided up components of the group to sing. Charlie Hunter featured one in all a number of solos on his hybrid guitar – a exceptional instrument permitting him to play bass, rhythm and lead concurrently and at one level popping and retuning harmonics to play a melody.
The Ornette Coleman quantity “Lonely Lady” featured, with lyrics added by Elling. He made a dedication to Ornette and his household for his or her musical contribution.
The spotlight of the night was launched merely as “For Carla Bley”, a splendidly emotional tribute. Kurt started singing slowly and majestically in his decrease register. The music constructed and rose in depth by the vocalist’s 4 octave vary till the climax that had the viewers on their toes. Certainly one of Elling’s most interesting vocal performances.
After the applause lastly died down, it was time to bop, in as a lot as you’ll be able to really dance in between the picket pews of Union Chapel. An prolonged funked up model of “The Seed” had the viewers transferring and jiggling after which it was over.
There was no encore however that wasn’t shocking as Ellling had left all of it on the stage. The sound at Union Chapel can generally be a bit boomy however not tonight – the sound and steadiness had been good and did justice to the most recent instalment of SuperBlue dwell.
BAND: Kurt Elling (v); Charlie Hunter (hybrid guitar); Marcus Finnie (d); Julius Rodriguez (ok), Horn part (2 trumpets and saxophone)
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