Kurt Elling : (7)

" I’m thrilled when I hear the greatest jazz musicians. They continue to search in ways other musicians do not. " - Kurt Elling

" There is an actor’s responsibility in presenting the emotional content of the lyrics to an audience. But whether you do that in a straightforward fashion or an ironic fashion or a blase fashion is all about opportunities, and singers are missing opportunities as artists if they don’t pay attention to the lyric. " - Kurt Elling

" People just want to dig; they want to dance. They don’t want to work all through the night, and neither do I. I like getting ‘out there,’ but communication should be occurring on more levels than heavy-laden philosophical. " - Kurt Elling

" I think I make most of my decisions pretty organically. " - Kurt Elling

" You work very hard on the lyrics. Getting them to fit the contours of improvised melodies. " - Kurt Elling

" I’ve worked with a number of big bands, but there’s nothing in life like the Basie band. " - Kurt Elling

" You can never predict what the specific shape of your life is going to be, and you won’t really know its general shape until, God willing, you’re advanced in years and you have the time and opportunity to look back in a coherent way and see what your life was about. " - Kurt Elling