“the standout male vocalist of our time” – New York Times
Two-time Grammy winner and seventeen-time nominee Kurt Elling has secured his place among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. There, he is renowned for his singular combination of robust swing, extraordinary musicianship and poetic insight. Furthermore, he was declared “the standout male vocalist of our time” by The New York Times. Elling’s career has been marked by decades of critical acclaim and an unprecedented fourteen-year run atop the DownBeat Critics Poll. Most recently, Elling brought his unmistakable voice and commanding stage presence to Broadway. There, he made his Broadway debut as Hermes in the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown.
For the holiday season, Elling returns to the music of The Beautiful Day: Kurt Elling Sings Christmas. Here, this is his distinctive and deeply personal celebration of Christmas. Inventive, warm and full of surprises, The Beautiful Day reimagines the sounds of the season. Additionally, he combines traditional carols in fresh arrangements with unexpected songs and rediscovered treasures. At its heart are the universal themes of hope, light, wonder, mystery and goodwill that have always defined Elling’s approach to the holidays.
“I knew I didn’t want to make a ‘religious’ record, just as I knew I didn’t want to make a standard, swingin’ jazzy Christmas,” Elling has said. “I’m trying to expand my consciousness and embrace the goodness of the season, and I want to include everybody. For me, Christmas is a time of consideration, of pondering mysteries.”
Then, he brings that spirit to the stage. Kurt Elling’s holiday concerts offer an evening that is at once joyful, searching, soulful and unmistakably his own. Here, experience a contemporary celebration of the season from one of today’s most acclaimed and adventurous vocal artists.
Recommended for fans of Frank Sinatra, Gregory Porter, John Pizzarelli and Cyrille Aimée.
📸: Elliot Mandel
