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JazzDigger Home > E - Jazz Artists > Kurt Elling > Item 10
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Man in the Air
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by Kurt Elling
Sales Rank: 455016
Price:$8.90
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Album Details
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1. Minuano [Vocal Version]
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2. In the Winelight
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3. Resolution
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4. Time to Say Goodbye
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5. Uncertainty of the Poet
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6. More I Have You
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7. Man in the Air
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8. Secret I
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9. Higher Vibe
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10. Hidden Jewel
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11. Never My Love
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12. All Is Quiet
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For Man In The Air, Elling's sixth release for Blue Note Records, the 35-year-old Chicagoan has created original lyrics for compositions by such giants as saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Herbie Hancock, guitarist Pat Metheny and others close to his heart. Elling hopes that audiences will fall in love with music that he himself adores, or will rediscover some compositions they have loved and overlooked for a time.
Kurt Elling: Vocals
Laurence Hobgood: Piano & Rhodes Electric Piano
Rob Amster: Bass
Frank Parker, Jr.: Drums & Percussion
Stefon Harris: Vibes
Jim Gailloreto: Soprano Saxophone
with Paul Wertico (Drums on Track 1) and Brad Wheeler (Soprano Saxophone on Track 1)
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
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Listener Reviews & Comments
Kurt Elling's become a bit of a critics' darling. I've been wary of him due to my afrocentric aesthetics and my general aversion from vocalists [Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan the principal exceptions]. Yet I was in Karibu books in Bowie, MD and I heard the track "Resolution" from this CD. I was immediately taken with Kurt's art, and I am in the process of acquiring all of his other CDs. "Man In the Air" was the first one I purchased and I was blown away. Kurt is an amazing musician first and foremost. He has dead on pitch and the chops to tackle tricky intervals and demanding material. He sings Coltrane's solo to "Resolution" and adds a fresh slant to a classic 'Trane solo. There are countless other beautiful moments on this CD. "Winelight" is a gentle nod at the classic version by Grover Washington. "Time To say Goodbye" is a tender rendition of the Weather Report with Jaco Pastorius classic. "Hidden Jewel" is an ecletic choice of a cover; it's a tune by Bobby Watson. Kurt Elling is a capable postmodern jazz musician who uses his chops to tackle the repertoire while staying personal and true to himself. What vaulted this album to 5 star status for me, however, is the romantic, inclusive spirituality of this album. Minuano is a multilayered tale of a woman's longing for a lover?/God?/guru?. And Elling's lyrics to Resolution become a call to praise and worship all gods. Not all listeners will appreciate explicit spiritual expression with their jazz, but I find this to be a risky genuine expression of a musician who is willing to show us his core. An earlier Elling CD I purchased, "The Messenger" had some beat poetry/spoken word elements that interrupted the flow of the album and seemed either tricky or unnecessary. Here, I find Elling's lyrics to be a valuable insight into the music. Kurt Elling is a major jazz voice right now who goes up there with Kenny Garrett for me on the small list of current jazz musicians who are not merely praising the past, but engaging the tradition to say something personal and new. 5 stars for me, 4 stars for any who disagree with his lyrics [you may want to check these out on kurtelling.com before purchasing the album] --souldrummer
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Man in the Air
by Kurt Elling
Price:$8.90
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