What a pleasure to spend a misty autumn night grooving to Kurt Elling with Charlie Hunter at Space in Evanston. I saw him at the Chicago Jazz Festival when he flew in from Australia to headline in place of Diane Reeves, and his energy was off the charts. Wednesday, October 11 was more intimate but no less high energy with delicious sound. Elling is a Chicago treasure with a worldwide following for his unique interpretation of jazz. He cut his chops at places like the storied Green Mill in Uptown.
Charlie Hunter is a West Coast musician who collaborated with Elling on his latest album Super Blue: Iridescent. Hunter is a virtuosic player who brings smooth notes that echo Wes Montgomery and Gabor Szabo. He zipped through some solos and blended beautifully with the rest of the band. Wunderkind Julius Rodriguez joined Elling playing church-infused chords giving a gospel edge to the set perfect for Elling's background as a divinity student. The audience hung on every word of his tent-meeting-style altar call to groove on his poetic lyricism.
Elling is a blur of energy with a snappy wit. He started the evening with "I'm Sticking to My Guns" and welcomed the audience to a house with speakers that work. He smiled and said, "That was a political joke". The set also included "I'm Gonna Call It Rock and Roll" and my favorite flashback from Schoolhouse Rock "Naughty Number Nine" by Bob Dorough. The audience loved the scat back and forth with drummer Lee Smith. The horn section was Derek Gardener on the trumpet, Kirby Kristy Fellis on the trombone, and John Wojciechowski on the saxophone. The same Chicago-based brass was at the Chicago Jazz Festival and they were just as smooth in the closer quarters of Space.
Elling is getting his due as a master of fusing jazz, rock, and blues into a category all his own. His body and soul go into his performances and his voice soothes in spoken word phrases. I was at the second set and saw the happy faces of those leaving the first set. I wondered if Elling and company would keep the groove going and was reassured when they did. The mix of new and older material was perfect and I highly recommend that you check out "Super Blue: Iridescent. It is the soundtrack for the cool fall and maybe a glass of your favorite beverage. The Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter are a fine accompaniment to any mood or season. If you get the chance, jump on it.