Kurt Elling
The Gate
Concord Records
www.concordmusicgroup.com

By George W. Harris

One thing you gotta admire about vocalist Kurt Elling, he just doesn’t
sit still. He keeps pushing himself into various projects, with last
year’s tribute to Johnny Hartman just another aural trophy, to be
placed next to the visionary Night Moves. This time around, along with
longtime shotgun rider Laurence Hobgood/p, he teams up with producer
Don Was, who adds subtle things like urban sounds on the beat poem
“Nighttown, Lady Bright” and extra vocal trackings here and there. More
of a few extra suggestions than a complete coup d’état . He delivers
an arrangement of “Norwegian Wood” that has more spine than one would
expect, while Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” is as hip as you’d ever
want. Elling’s voice is more dark chocolate at this stage in his life,
leaning more to deeper emotions and inflections than vocal gymnastics,
and he wears the new suit well. “Matte Kudasi” and “Golden Lady” draw
you in with inviting sounds delivered by John McLean/g, John
Patitucci/b, Terreon Gulley-Kobe Watkis/dr and Bob Mintzer’s tenor,
which sounds gloriously rusty in its cameo performances. The
aforementioned “Nighttown…” will please long time Elling fans, with a
very hip reading from Duke Ellington’s autobiography. Another
excellent release from one of the few modern jazz visionaries.