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London,

Kurt Elling With Richard Galliano And The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

Description: Mainstream jazz by the vocalist and colleagues.



Rating: 5 out of 5 Jack Massarik's rating
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Pizza Express Jazz Club Dean Street, W1D 3RW

Phone: 0207437 9595

Website: www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

Extra info: Food, Air Conditioning

Transport: Tube: Tottenham Court Road Transport for London

Kurt steals the show

Kurt Elling
Chicagoan vocalist Kurt Elling is in scintillating form

By Jack Massarik
23 Oct 2006


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).

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

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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, 26/10/2006 13:28
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