Kurt Elling, SuperBlue and Endless Lawns
Photo credit: Dave Stapleton Kurt Elling.
Voice extraordinaire. Born 1967 in Chicago (3 years my senior), raised in Rockford, Illinois. He discovered the wonders of jazz while attending Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. He developed his vocal chops back in Chicago while attending the University of Chicago Divinity School. Then he signed to Blue Note Records in the mid-90’s. Long story short, this man has been releasing records showcasing his vocal jazz since the 90’s.
The kicker? I had never heard or seen his name uttered through all these years. Not, that is, until watching the GRAMMY pre-awards broadcast on February 4th, when the award for Best Alternative Jazz Album was given out. It was Meshell Ndegeocello who won the award (for The Omnichord Real Book, which I still need to listen to); but among the nominees was 7-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, who I’ve listened to and followed on and off for years – so it caught my eye. The nomination was for SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree, by SuperBlue, featuring Charlie Hunter and Kurt Elling. “Hmm, interesting,” I thought, and dialed it up on Apple Music on my way to pick up some dinner. Super interesting sounds, and a really unique singer. Who was this guy? A song about the #9? A beauty of a tune called “Little Fairy Carpenter,” the funky explosion that is “Bounce It.”
I was impressed and wanted to explore more about this group. To YouTube I went, and the very first thing I stumbled upon was a SuperBlue performance at Bimhuis, a jazz concert hall in Amsterdam. It was live streamed in November 2023, and I’m telling you, if you haven’t experienced the instrument-like voice of Kurt Elling, you can do no better than starting with this SuperBlue performance with Kurt, Charlie, Julius Rodriguez on keys, and Marcus Finnie on drums.
Now I need to tell you why I start the below show at 49:00. By all means, zip back to the beginning and watch it all. But first, immerse yourself in the splendor that is “Endless Lawns” – a beautiful, soul-filling journey where Kurt shows off every facet of his remarkable vocal control and range. I can’t get enough!! I listen to it almost daily, and it’s such a part of me at this point that it’s hard to believe I first heard it just a matter of weeks ago in early February.
The music itself was written as the instrumental “Lawns” by the late jazz composer and artist Carla Bley in 1987 (an artist who I also was shamefully not familiar with). Kurt took the song and composed some seriously deep, cosmic lyrics that evoke the wonders of the cosmos and its connection to us and to love. It first appeared on his 2018 album The Questions, with trumpet player Marquis Hill adding some soothing solos. Then it was redone for the 2020 SuperBlue album. Personally, I listen to The Questions version more often, but both are fantastic.
It goes without saying that I cannot wait to see Kurt live somewhere, some time. I will make it happen.
Dig into this “Endless Lawns” performance, all the way through now, start to finish. Do not miss the ending, which will make your mouth drop.
Thank you Kurt, and my bad for missing out on you all these years.
Samba Redux
Who would’ve thought that three months after getting a brand spanking new, $2000 Apple iMac, that the most reliable computer in the house would be my 3 year old Dell? You know the ad with the cool Mac guy and the geeky Windows guy? The way I feel right now, I’d punch the smirking Mac guy in the face and take Mr. Windows out for beers. My Mac has been nothing but trouble since day one: freezing up with the “spinning beach ball of death” at random times, and lately, some programs deciding just not to open. FRUSTRATING! So after months of troubleshooting with the Apple folks, I’m off to an appointment with an Apple “genius” tonight over at the local Apple store. Meanwhile, hello XP, old friend… (Not how a new Apple owner is supposed to behave, is it?). Make it right, Mr. Jobs!
So thanks for enduring my whining, and on to the music. Bay area 8-string guitar wiz Charlie Hunter has been featured here before. The trio – Charlie on guitar, John Ellis on tenor sax, bass and wurlitzer, and Derrek Phillips on drums – move beyond a mere jazz trio, infusing ample doses of funk and rock. Charlie is also a big Prince fan too, so he gets bonus points right away from me.
Here’s one I heard recently on Sirius, off of last year’s Trio release, Copperopolis. Take in some laid back, Middle funkin’ Eastern style.
Charlie Hunter Trio – Samba Redux
- Buy Copperopolis.
- Preview the whole album here on Charlie’s site.
Watch Charlie perform “Just a Closer Walk With Thee”:
Ever had a Garage a Trois?
Howzabout a little Garage a Trois to end the weekend / kick off the week? What we have is a side project of Charlie Hunter on his 8-string guitar, Galactic’s Stanton Moore on drums, and Skerik on sax. On this 2003 release, Emphasizer, they had Mike Dillon help out on percussion and vibraphone.
Laid back acid jazz/funk comin’ your way.
Buy Emphasizer.
Garage a Trois’ Official Site.Listen to a whole GaT show on Archive.org: August 3rd, 2005 at the Fox Theater in Boulder. That’s my birthday, mark your calendars and save your money.
Charlie Hunter’s 8 String Funk
Every time I listen to this live track, or any Charlie Hunter song in general, I’m amazed that all of the sounds are emanating from one guitar. Charlie is a Bay Area master of his custom-made 8-string guitar. He plays the role of both bass and guitar player. Nope, there isn’t a bassist in the band. What you hear is coming from one man. On this song, “Crossings”, Charlie and Adam Cruz (on drums) lay out 12 and a half minutes of rhythmic laid back guitar funk. How Charlie can negotiate those kinds of bass and guitar parts simultaneously is beyond me.
About his guitar:
custom-made Novax eight-string…..Designed by Ralph Novak, the instrument features special frets and separate signals for its guitar and bass portions. Picking bass notes with his right thumb while fretting them with his left index finger (while at the same time fingerpicking guitar chords and single notes with his right hand’s remaining four digits as he frets with his left hand’s other three fingers), Hunter achieves the real sound of two-for-one. – from All Music
Huh? I lost track of all the fingers! If you want to see what his guitars look like, check out the cool Gear Page on his site. Anyway, this and a whole lot of others tunes are available to you on his web site, CharlieHunter.com. There’s a ton in the Audio section.
Facts of the day:
- Charlie used to be a member of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Michael Franti’s group before Spearhead.
- Jay Lane of Primus used to be Charlie’s drummer.
So without further ado:
Charlie Hunter (and Adam Cuz in drums) – “Crossings” – recorded live in Detroit, MI, 20 Nov 1999.
Buy Charlie’s music on Amazon (plus a lot of unreleased downloads available for purchase on his site).Photo from https://www.charliehunter.com/photos.
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