Kurt Elling

Kurt Elling is a very respected jazz vocalist from the states. He is such a crooner, and delivers such an impressive set this evening, in the form of some of his fantastic arrangements of some of the biggest standards to date, including a stunning version of “Come Fly With Me”, which opens the set in style. From the moment he walks out on stage, he is smiling to the audience, developing such a fantastic rapport with everyone involved. “I Like the Sunrise” is a mid set highlight with each member of the band taking a good sixteen bars to show off some of their best chops. My personal highlight of this set is when he performs the song “House Is Not A Home”, which simply makes the audience listen so tentatively, in appreciation of this jazz great. As a musician, and having majored in jazz piano in my first year of university, I can appreciate the complexities that the band go through literally from the start to the finish of each song, busting out some of the most amazing jazz voicings in each song. It is stunning to watch Kurt Elling do what he does best.

I’m not sure you can really say you’ve seen a guitar being played until you’ve seen Charlie Hunter do it. Seeing a man play the bass, rhythm and lead guitar all on the same instrument (usually a custom 8 string no less) is an experience like no other.
Unbelievable music prowess however, can often make for a dull live show but with his keen ear for melody and improvisation that is not the case with Charlie. His compositions are filled with rewarding melodies and impressive solos which never fail to hold any room to his attention, an impressive feat for just one man and guitar. Sometimes he’ll even play with others, often managing to create a full band sound with as few as two musicians and he always manages to compliment his sidemen, never showing off.
It’s never a dull affair either. Charlie will often banter with the crowd and might even treat people to a cover of Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are’ or Lorde’s ‘Royals’. Charlie gets the balance perfect between musicianship and entertainment and that’s why his shows are not ones to miss.