Kurt Elling
Voice Solo on
Straight, No Chaser

About

Kurt Elling's vocal solo spanning over two and a half choruses is the second and final solo on this up-tempo reading of Monk's blues. Following Calderazzo's four-chorus piano statement, Elling takes the 12-bar blues at 230 BPM in F, scatting through the changes with the confidence and invention that have made him one of the most acclaimed jazz vocalists of his generation. The blues format brings out the earthy, rhythmically engaged side of Elling's artistry, and his extended solo demonstrates his ability to sustain vocal improvisation at a demanding tempo.

Kurt Elling was 56 to 57 years old at the time.