Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Celebrate Weather Report

Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Celebrate Weather Report is an exciting collaboration between two jazz giants who will combine the iconic music of Weather Report with bold new interpretations and their own unique style.

Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling, whose distinctive baritone and talent for improvisation have won the hearts of music lovers around the world, will perform alongside the Yellowjackets – legends of jazz fusion who have shaped the genre for over four decades.

This performance will pay tribute to Weather Report’s groundbreaking legacy, while combining familiar classics with fresh new ideas, full of creativity and originality. This is an event not to be missed!

Occur:
Kurt Elling – vocals
Russell Ferrante – keyboards
Bob Mintzer – saxophone
Dane Alderson – bass
William Kennedy – drums

Kurt Elling, the no. 1 absolutes of world jazz vocalism, an artist with a captivating voice, combining excellent technique with the restraint of expression of Frank Sinatra, the lyricism of Chet Baker and the class of Tony Bennett. Nature has endowed him with a wonderful voice – Elling’s warm baritone can hypnotize the listeners. The artist uses a clear, well-set tone with a wide range (four octaves) and flawless intonation, he often introduces scat improvisations, which places him among flesh and blood jazz musicians, not jazz singers.

He owes his great career only to himself and hard work. In his childhood and during his studies, he sang in a choir, and in the following years he became interested in jazz. He took private music lessons, wrote lyrics and performed wherever he could – in clubs and even at weddings. In 1994 he matured to record his own album. The material recorded in the studio appealed to the bosses of Blue Note, who signed a contract with him – the debut “Close Your Eyes” was immediately appreciated and received a Grammy nomination. Elling has over a dozen original albums to her credit, all of which have gained success, and many of them have been nominated for this valuable award. He received the statuette itself twice – the first in 2009 for the album “Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman” (it was a tribute to the genius of the saxophone and outstanding jazz vocalist of the 50s), the second for “Secrets Are the Best Stories” recorded five years ago.

He has collaborated with a whole galaxy of excellent musicians, m.in. Fred Hersch, Till Brönner, Bob Mintzer and Yellowjackets, Brad Mehldau; during the Summer Jazz Festival Krakow he performed with the Branford Marsalis Quartet – his concert at the Krakow Opera was recognized by the “Jazz Forum” magazine as one of the most momentous artistic events of 2017.

Yellowjackets

After more than 40 years, it turns out that Yellowjackes’ music is resistant to the effects of time, changing trends and ubiquitous commercialism, today it tastes like wine that has acquired the right aroma over the decades. From the very beginning, the band has maintained a high level, and the technical perfection of the performers and the characteristic sound constantly attract fans. Yellowjackets (guitarist Robben Ford, keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Ricky Lawson) was formed in the late 70s. They debuted with the album “Yellowjackets”, which immediately caught the attention of critics and jazz fans. “Mirage” turned out to be a hit and Trois” (1984), the second studio album nominated for the Grammy Award (there were as many as 18 such nominations in the group’s career). After the success of the album, the guitarist left the band and was replaced by saxophonist Marc Russo. Yellowjackets “music began to move away from simple funk formulas towards cantilena melodies enriched with interesting harmony. The music market reacted immediately – the song And You Know That from the album ‘Shades’ (1986) received a Grammy, and the album ‘Politics’ (1988) brought the band a second statuette. In 1991, Russo was replaced by Bob Mintzer, an excellent tenor, also playing the EWI (electronic wind instrument), who gave the music a more jazzy character. When Will Kennedy left the group in the late 90s, the band used the services of jazz drum stars – Peter Erskine and Terri Lynn Carrington; for a time, it was played by Jaco Pastorius” son, Felix. The current line-up consists of Ferrante, Mintzer, Kennedy (returned in 2011) and bassist Dane Alderson, who brings new energy and youthful passion to the band.