Man, I just feel so fortunate to be a jazz musician at all. I have a hard time thinking of it any… — Kurt Elling Hard 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 Jazz Copy Share Image
I don't really have a more intellectualized approach. After the fact, I can sure talk about stuff a lot - but when… — Kurt Elling Decisions 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 Desire Copy Share Image
I've worked with a number of big bands, but there's nothing in life like the Basie band. — Kurt Elling Band Copy Share Image
A lot of the commercial world wants to bank in on the cachet that jazz brings. — Kurt Elling Bank 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 Better Copy Share Image
You work very hard on the lyrics. Getting them to fit the contours of improvised melodies. — Kurt Elling Hard Copy Share Image
There's a wide spectrum of possibilities in how to deliver a song. — Kurt Elling How Copy Share Image
A lot of people are put off by the idea of scat singing. Either that or it's something to be made fun… — Kurt Elling Either Copy Share Image
You want to be doing your best work whatever field of the arts you're in because your life's going to be over… — Kurt Elling Art Copy Share Image
Sometimes, with vocalese, I'm dealing with something, a great solo from the past, which is so iconic I can't presume to change… — Kurt Elling Change Copy Share Image
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 Cool Copy Share Image
I like the power and versatility of a big band and how an orchestra can vary the dynamics from very loud to… — Kurt Elling Band 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 Belonging Copy Share Image
I couldn't do what I do without the encouragement and influence of the musicians I played with in Chicago. — Kurt Elling Encouragement Copy Share Image
My strength is to communicate with an audience and to know what jazz singing is capable of. — Kurt Elling Capable Copy Share Image
If I was going to sell out, I would do it for more than 10,000 records. — Kurt Elling Going Copy Share Image
People want to have access to jazz because it has a vibe that's very strong. — Kurt Elling Access Copy Share Image
Grammy nominations are certainly pleasant, but you can forget about them and lead a perfectly happy life - provided you have the… — Kurt Elling Forget 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 Chicago Copy Share Image
