Kurt Elling – Dedicated to You (2009)
Artist : Kurt Elling
Album : Dedicated To You : Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman
Released Date : June 23, 2009
Label : Concord Records
Java Jazz Festival 2008, Friday night, March 7. It was my first encounter with the premiere jazz vocalist, Kurt Elling and my first time watching his live performance. For about one hour, Elling showed why he achieved “Best Jazz Vocalist” granted by Downbeat and Jazztimes for three consecutive years. To Kurt, vocal is like an instrument that can tell us many things. His jazz timbre is excellent. The arrangement, his improvisation as well as his friendly interactivity, has been shown elegantly by Elling at Java Jazz Festival 2008, and I’m sure he keeps it that way in every live performance he makes. Simply put, he gave me a strong impression with his performance at Java Jazz Festival 2008. Since then, I always wish I could see more of his live concert.
Kurt Elling at Java Jazz Festival 2009 (credit: JazzLoVa)
In this summer of 2009, Kurt Elling released a live recording album entitled “Dedicated To You”. It’s his brand new album since his last album “Nightmoves” in 2007, a superb album that was nominated for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category in Grammy Awards 2008. Following that achievement, the next album should be kept strong, and that’s what Elling did. This time he brings the legendary saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood Trio and also the string quartet, ETHEL, then takes a dramatic journey time, traveling back to 1963, when John Coltrane teamed up with Johnny Hartman creating a masterpiece of fully sensuous jazz. It was a historical collaboration as the album became instant jazz classic ever since. I always enjoy the original 1963 classic album. “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman” was a milestone, historically a masterpiece, one of the most interested and respected recording in history. Therefore there were times I wondered who would dare to pick this one and rise it again in the new outfit, without destroying all the aspects that made this album stands out as an all time classic. We are talking about legendary album consisting of legendary songs, it was brought by a pair of jazz legends that shouldn’t be easy to cover. But if it has to be covered, it has to be in the hand of someone who knows how to respect the legend behind it, the songs, the magic contained in the album. And Kurt Elling definitely knows how to bring it back alive in style. He has perfect timings vocally, great phrasings, and always sincerely comes from his heart. He knows when to improvise, and when he should keep it as it is. He’s the master of it.
So this is the album that pays a tribute to all the things Coltrane and Hartman has created. Some were taken from John Coltrane’s album “Ballads” released a year before. Still keeping the beauty contained in the songs, Elling brings the historical era of Coltrane and Hartman with high respect. He has made new interpretation, but he’s faithful to every aspect that makes the album stands the test of time and still remains as a classic until now. Kurt Elling’s rich baritone voice sounds just as nice as Hartman’s. Elling’s vocal texture has emotional depth attached in it, and his technical quality makes him able to make an unforgettable revisit to Coltrane-Hartman’s milestone. Taking Coltrane’s position is the amazing saxophonist Ernie Watts. This is a powerful pair that can bring the memories back in perfect. But Elling doesn’t stop there, as he also brings the Laurence Hobgood Trio and a string quartet, ETHEL. That’s a glorious composition indeed to recapture the magic.
Recorded live in Manhattan as part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in January 2009, Kurt started with “All or Nothing At All”. This is a song that appeared in Coltrane Quartet album, “Ballads”. Starting with the strings, Elling and Wants soon demonstrated how majestic it is when they blend in together. In “It’s Easy to Remember”, Elling explained how Coltrane and Hartman’s collaboration began, how it was made, how it became a milestone album. “but we remember them both. And for us, it’s easy (to remember)” Elling said. Wonderful. “Dedicated to You” is a floating rendition as a beautiful tribute to two pairs that has brought this song wonderfully. One was of course Coltrane and Hartman, and the other one was Sarah Vaughan and her mentor Billy Ecsktine twenty years earlier in the 40’s, served in a very nice strings. The classic jazz standard “What’s New” which was also appeared in Coltrane’s “Ballads” was brought in instrumental version, played wonderfully by Ernie Watts, just like how it was in that 1962 album. A simply drop dead gorgeous rendition. Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” is all about the art of story telling musically. This is one of the most interesting version I’ve ever heard, with so many emotion deeply attached in it. The swingy “Autumn Serenade” was brought by keeping all the essence in the song. The magical pairings between Elling and Watts can be felt in this one. The next song is a beauty, a perfect vocal placement, smooth sax and light band music over dreamy orchestral melodies. “They Say “It’s Wonderful” is a path taken by Elling which has Sinatra’s delicious swing pattern as the reference. Just exactly like what Coltrane and Hartman’s did to show some love to Sinatra. Brilliant piano played by Laurence Hobgood gives more color to this wonderful song. The haunting version of “My One and Only Love” appears next. This is the very different rendition of the song, different from Coltrane-Hartman’s jazz standard approach, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald or any other singers’ version. This time “My One and Only Love” appears only with lovely strings. “Nancy (With the Laughing Face)”, taken from Coltrane Quartet’s “Ballads” album, a song about Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra’s daughter, was another song that delivered by remain true to its natural beauty. Then the jazz ballad “You Are Too Beautiful”, close the album. This time Elling delivers it in faster tempo compared to the “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman”’s version, but still by being faithful to the main essence of the song. The nice piano touch makes this song appears more elegantly.
Kurt Elling (credit: John Abbott)
A magical pair with perfect interconnectedness between Kurt Elling and Ernie Watts has brilliantly brought John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’s classics back to life again. “Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman” is a remarkable revisit to an album that became one of the most loved and respected album in jazz history, also known as one of the most romantic album ever recorded. Laurence Hobgood is superb with his arrangements that filled almost all songs contained in the album. The jazz trio led by Laurence did their part remarkably, also the ETHEL string quartet. And all songs contains in this album were recorded live. Means without overdubs or manipulation of the original takes. It’s a one shot opportunity, just like the “only one take and done” history of Coltrane-Hartman. All I can say is everyone did their job done perfectly. Just as the first song selected in this album, “All or Nothing At All”, Elling delivers a message of how he and the rest of the gang gives them all, totally. It’s all or nothing, simply put. And just as how the Coltrane-Hartman album (also Coltrane Quartet’s “Ballads”) labeled as the most romantic albums ever recorded, undoubtedly Kurt Elling’s “Dedicated to You” is one of the most romantic recording for this year. Nothing can be wrong when we have strong team up of gifted jazz musicians on earth together in sweet chemistry delivering the music from the unforgettable legends. Afterall, it’s Kurt Elling, Ernie Watts, Laurence Hobgood Trio and ETHEL string quartet, bringing Coltrane-Hartman’s songbook. Do I need to say more?
Musicians:
Kurt Elling (vocal)
Ernie Watts (tenor saxophone)
Laurence Hobgood (piano)
Clark Sommers (Laurence Hobgood Trio) (piano)
Ulysseys Owens (Laurence Hobgood Trio) (drums)
ETHEL:
Cornelius Dufallo (Violin)
Ralph Farris (viola)
Dorothy Lawson (cello)
Mary Rowell (violin)
Tracklistings:
1. All Or Nothing At All
2. It’s Easy To Remember
3. Dedicated To You
4. What’s New (instrumental)
5. Lush Life
6. Autumn Serenade
7. Say It (Over And Over Again)
8. They Say It’s Wonderful
9. My One and Only Love
10. Nancy with The Laughing Face
11. Acknowledgements
12. You Are Too Beautiful
Buy Kurt Elling – Dedicated to You at Concord Records
Buy Kurt Elling – Dedicated to You at Amazon.com
For more info, log on to Kurt Elling’s official website and myspace
Reviewed by: Riandy Kurniawan
Special thanks to :
- Alhenri Wijaya
- Theo Karaeng
* Pictures from Java Jazz Festival 2008 taken by JazzLoVa
Popularity: 9% [?]
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Listening to this album is like sitting in a jazz club somewhere, drinking a cup or two of black coffee while elling on the stage singing my favorite tunes just for me
Very good review for a great vocal album!
[...] and Hartman in the Best Jazz Vocal category. You can check our review on this album here: Kurt Elling – Dedicated to You. The album was recorded live at the Allen Room at Lincoln Center and has received critical praise. [...]