I'm a jazz musician, and I really wanted to not miss an opportunity to have the full connection to jazz. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
A lot of the commercial world wants to bank in on the cachet that jazz brings. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
I'm thrilled when I hear the greatest jazz musicians. They continue to search in ways other musicians do not. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
My strength is to communicate with an audience and to know what jazz singing is capable of. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
I think of jazz as being homage through innovation. Don't quote that as a definition, but it comes pretty close. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
People want to have access to jazz because it has a vibe that's very strong. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
[Jazz singing] is like pornography. You can't say what it is, but you know it when you see it. — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
The great jazz and jazz-influenced singers carry themselves with a certain panache and a certain elegance and, for lack of a better… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
Karl Johnson, my first piano player at Milt Trenier's, he just swung really hard and gave me a sense of really belonging… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
I think my intention was there, and my love for the music was apparent. And there are very few singers who get… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
Man, I just feel so fortunate to be a jazz musician at all. I have a hard time thinking of it any… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
That's the thing: There are so many art songs in jazz. It's a much more rich experience for the singer than people… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
You don't show respect to Frank Sinatra and his great example by trying to sound exactly like him. You show it by… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
I've tried to learn as much as I can about the great jazz singers to understand what makes them important, vital artists,… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
You can start from any source material, and you can approach it with a jazz ear, and then it will become a… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
I really thought I was gonna have a straight gig. But these jazz musicians put their arms around me time and again… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
It helps me to learn things in different languages, even if it's just phonetically, and to make myself vulnerable to other audiences… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
The musicians in Chicago gave me my vocation, but New York calls to a jazz musician, for sure. You want to test… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
I'd been studying philosophy at the University of Chicago. I hadn't been doing well, because I was sitting in with jazz musicians… — Kurt Elling Copy Share Image
Man, I just feel so fortunate to be a jazz musician at all. I have a hard time thinking of it any other way.… — Kurt Elling Copy Share
You can start from any source material, and you can approach it with a jazz ear, and then it will become a jazz moment. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
I don't really have a more intellectualized approach. After the fact, I can sure talk about stuff a lot - but when I make… — Kurt Elling Copy Share
I think my intention was there, and my love for the music was apparent. And there are very few singers who get up and… — Kurt Elling Copy Share
I've worked with a number of big bands, but there's nothing in life like the Basie band. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
A lot of the commercial world wants to bank in on the cachet that jazz brings. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
The great jazz and jazz-influenced singers carry themselves with a certain panache and a certain elegance and, for lack of a better word, self-confidence. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
You work very hard on the lyrics. Getting them to fit the contours of improvised melodies. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
A lot of people are put off by the idea of scat singing. Either that or it's something to be made fun of. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
You want to be doing your best work whatever field of the arts you're in because your life's going to be over all too… — Kurt Elling Copy Share
Sometimes, with vocalese, I'm dealing with something, a great solo from the past, which is so iconic I can't presume to change it or… — Kurt Elling Copy Share
I'm a guy who has more slapstick than Joe Cool moments in his day, so I'm not taking myself so seriously. — Kurt Elling Copy Share
![“[Jazz singing] is like pornography. You can't say what it is, but you know it when you see it.” quote by Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/b41/kurt-elling-6944_jazz_jazz-singing-is-like-pornography-you-can_1883577.jpg)
