Summary
[Kurt Elling] was the group's host and voice, not only as the singer on duty but also the spokesman introducing the program. A dapper figure, Elling described the ensemble as "a collective" and a "supergroup" and spoke of their tour as "a special project" with a program that varies from night to night. Its simple, egalitarian format lets each featured artist choose a few songs.
Like the legendary jazz singer Jon Hendricks, whom he speaks of as "a father figure," Elling is a master of "vocalese," the practice of adding lyrics to jazz instrumentais. Elling is eclectic, even exotic, in his sources, writing original lyrics but also setting lines from Walt Whitman and beat poet Kenneth Rexroth to jazz compositions.Next, [Kenny Barron] introduced his composition, "Theme No. 1," wryly noting that he wrote it "for a film you'll never see." Against Barron's spare, easy-going groove, [Russell Malone] spun gorgeous swirls of notes on his guitar.See the full content of this document
Extract
Monterey Jazz Stars Give New Life to Old Songs
Words were a powerful presence in the elevating evening of jazz performed by the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour last Thursday at the Berklee Performance Center.
Whether sung, implied or reinvented, lyrics accompanied most of the selections by the all-star ensemble, comprising pianist Kenny Barron, jazz violinist Regina Carter, voc...See the full content of this document
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