This time it's Love - Kurt Elling
Wonderful master of the jazz voice. Saw him live, and this recording does him justice.

the current male vocal master - however
I absolutely adore Kurt Elling, but oh my goodness.....he sure is pitchy on some of these songs. It's actually painful for me to listen to "A Time For Love" and "She's Funny That Way." He is sharp about every 5th word. Is this live? Couldn't they fix it in the mix?
Then I come upon "Too Young To Go Steady" and it's the best version I have ever heard. Almost all on pitch.
Mind you folks, I have bought EVERY one of Elling's CDs, this being my latest purchase. He is my current absolute favorite male singer. He knocked Mark Murphy right out of the ball park for me.
From listening to his whole repertoire I think he's improved tremendously in the past 11 years.
On his new CD - Night Moves - he's almost perfectly on pitch on every song.
Back to this CD - On My Foolish Heart - off key again.
But when he did recorded it again for "Live In Chicago" it is brilliant and perfection. Plus it's a 12 minute version. "Apart" as in "fade and fall apart" is the only sharp note I found.
I still wouldn't give up my copy of "This Time It's Love" for anything.

Own this album!!
If you don't own this album - you need to. The musicianship is on par with the jazz masters - this is bound to become a historic album. Kurt Elling is the new jazz legend we have been looking for and his musical legacy will live on just like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. The proof is in the listening - buy this album!

Buy this Kurt Elling CD for the MUSICIANSHIP, YESSS!
Kurt Elling and Laurence Hobgood are in some ways like Hal David and Burt Bachrach with a few exceptions: Kurt sings infinitely better than either Hal or Burt and Laurence plays and arranges better than Burt. But boy, do they collaborate beautifully! The best song on the album: maybe "Foolish Heart". With Raynor, Onderdonk, Brad Wheeler, Eddie Johnson and Johnny Frigo,(Kids: he's 87 but sounds like 27!)folks should buy this for the great Chicago jazz musicians who have helped in advancing Kurt's great career. Really a great album but not Kurt's best effort(MITA) is the finest vocalist albulm of 2003, YES it is!

If you love jazz vocals...BUY THIS ALBUM
Kurt Elling is genius. He has a very classy but innovative style that will give you no choice but to play this album over and over. His originals are stunning and his versions of the jazz standards he has selected for this collection are creative without being over the top. I have owned this CD for two years now and it is still in high rotation in my collection. No matter what mood you're in, this album will suit it.