Last week’s (May 8th) Cocktail Hour with jazz vocalist Kurt Elling turned out to be such a joy ride, waiting for this week’s installment is little like looking forward to a birthday present. What on earth is he going to do this week? Perfectly in tune with the times, and through the fortunate sponsorship of McClintock Distilleries, one thing he’ll certainly be doing is drinking.
On stage, Elling, a native Chicagoan who’s been living in NYC for years and planning to return to Chi Town for altruistic family reasons soon, is as suave as they come. The epitome of cool. The Grammy winner’s still mellow sitting in his NY apartment chatting up his virtual audience from around the world. And he lets you know right up front this is not going to be a concert. He calls it a “hang”, a relaxed gathering of like-minded folks enjoying themselves over cocktails, conversation and song. All three of those things are anything but expected. Just like the conversations among close friends can venture off in the most intriguing directions, the same is true here.
A long-time neighbor, friend and journalist in Elling’s apartment building, David Bornstein, popped in on his own feed and shared many welcome, refreshingly astute views on the impact conventional journalism has on our lives. He also had an alternative option that’s designed to “give us a more complete picture of how’re we’re doing”. Mr. Bornstein was talking about a form of writing he practices known as solutions journalism; an information stream that sounds far more rounded and encompassing than what we’re familiar with.
The scene then left Elling’s apartment in Gotham and jumped to Holland where another of his pals, J.B. Walter, was performing his newly minted Dressed in a Song. Music he’s yet to be able to present to a live audience. Later, their freewheeling conversation about music, the way the arts makes you feel more connected to humanity and the symbiotic link between audiences and artists could not have been more open, candid and interesting. Closing the show with the two of them scatting Monk’s Green Chimneys was to watch two talented men with fantastic voices lose themselves in the joy of making unforgettable music together acapella.
Earlier in the hang, Elling had covered an AC/DC song, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, as part of the regular “Unexpected Feel-good” segment of the hour. Of course, it was etched in an outline of jazz while maintaining that insurrectionist coda you’d want in an AC/DC track. The combination made it brim over in unconventional charm.
Right now, the Cocktail Hour with Kurt Elling is closing in on its end date, the last Friday in May. Airing are at 5pm CST. A lot of people won’t be mad if they’re extended.
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