Weather Tonight: 9°c Light showers Morning: 14°c Overcast

Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quoteNew Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of itquote

Andrew O'Hagan The Twilight Saga: New Moon Theatre

Henry Hitchings

quoteA smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusionquote

Henry Hitchings Cock Restaurants

David Sexton

quoteKitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave quote

David Sexton Kitchen W8

Reader reviews

Film

Adam, Harrow

quoteToo long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effectsquote

2012 Theatre

Rob, London

quoteThis is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flawsquote

The Habit Of Art Music

Bernard, London

quoteAlex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factorquote

Alexandra Burke

Music reviews London,

London Jazz Festival: Kurt Elling: Dedicated To You - The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman, Tony Kofi & Jonathan Gee

Your rating
one startwo starthree starfour starfive star
Click on a star to rate
Pizza Express Jazz Club
Dean Street, W1D 3RW

Evening Standard rating Jack Massarik's rating
Evening Standard rating Reader rating
 Add your review

Description: The swinging baritone vocalist pays homage to the classic album with lush piano and strings, plus top notch support from the sax and piano pair.


Phone: 0207437 9595
Website: www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

Trains: Tube: Tottenham Court Road Overground network

Extra info: Air Conditioning, Food

 
Please wait the page is loading extra content
  • Show details
  • Hide details
  • Show map
Close X

Directions

 

Kurt steals the show

By Jack Massarik, Evening Standard  23.10.06
 
Kurt Elling

Chicagoan vocalist Kurt Elling is in scintillating form

Other reviews

Look here too

Don't wait for next month's London Jazz Festival. Kurt Elling, having stolen that show last year, hasn't been invited back.

Instead, the Chicagoan vocalist has muscled into this Soho club and is in scintillating form. His opening set contained some of the finest jazz heard in London this year.

Superbly supported by bassist Rob Amster, ace pianist-arranger Laurence Hobgood and new drummer Willie Jones III, a capture from trumpeter Roy Hargrove, Elling eased his rich baritone through its four-octave range with rare creativity and finesse.

His lustrous reading of My Foolish Heart contained ancient verses inserted by an Iraqi poetess "whose name I can't pronounce, but who gives us our little global-unity moment for tonight".

Betty Carter's classic Hold Tight then triggered some entirely appropriate scatsinging choruses before Elling cleverly dovetailed two ballads of initially similar chord structure, Change Partners and If You Never Come to Me.

His lyrics to pianist Alan Pasqua's latest distinctive theme, And We Will Fly, featured a counterpoint line that every doublebassist will want to learn. And his set-closer, an extended lyric to tenorist Dexter Gordon's classic Body and Soul solo, with Giant Steps variations, was stunning. Don't miss.

Until Thursday (020 7439 8722).

Related articles

More


Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Other reviews

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

Reader reviews (1)

 Add your review

Not so much a review as an offer of the most grateful thanks. Kurt Elling's seemingly effortless, gracious on-stage demeanour (the epitome of true cool) astonishing virtuosity and ability to convey the most profound emotion and spirituality left me open-mouthed with joy. A truly life-enhancing experience: if you have the remotest vestige of soul or spirit, you have to see this guy.

- Lee Hulbert, London


Add your comment

 

Your email address will not be published

Terms and conditions make text area bigger You have  characters left.


 
 


 
 
London's Weather
Tonight
Light showers
9°c
Morning
Overcast
14°c
5 day forecast
 
 

Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Travel Mail This is Money Metro

Loot | Jobsite | Homes & property | London jobs | FindaProperty.com | Primelocation.com | Educate London | Holiday Villas