Kurt Elling
Chicago’s Grammy award-winning singer, Kurt Ellling, has been confirmed as one of the major acts at this year’s Generations in Jazz (GIJ) festival being held in Mount Gambier, South Australia, from May 3-5, 2019. Declared “the standout male vocalist of our time” by The New York Times, Kurt Elling is one of the world’s foremost jazz vocalists, combining robust swing and poetic insight to produce a distinctive, original voice destined to bring the GIJ big top alive.
Festival CEO, Belinda Shannon, says Kurt Elling embodies the creative spirit of GIJ.
“Kurt Elling has been thrilling audiences around the world for decades and we are so excited to have him on board for our biggest event yet; he’s not only an incredible inspiration for the thousands of school students coming to GIJ, but a master entertainer with broad audience appeal – the crowd will love him!”
Kurt Elling is renowned for his use of vocalese, writing and performing of words over improvised jazz solos. The Guardian has called him “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers”, while The Toronto Star said “Kurt Elling is the closest jazz will ever get to having its own saint”. He will make his GIJ debut at the Friday Welcome Concert, and will stay for the entire weekend, performing at Saturday’s Gala Concert and the Sunday Farewell Concert.
Student participants will also have the opportunity to sign up for an exclusive Kurt Elling workshop on the Sunday morning, while he will also be judging entrants for the 2019 GIJ Vocal Scholarship during their ‘1st Adjudication’ performance at Mount Gambier’s Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre (Thursday May 2).
Prize money for the vocal scholarship has been doubled to $10,000 by major sponsor The Border Watch, matching the $10,000 James Morrison Jazz Scholarship for instrumentalists generously donated by Andrea Evans. Both scholarships are open to Australian and overseas-based performers aged 19 and under, and the deadline for 2019 submissions is March 15. Entry forms are available at generationsinjazz.com.au