The Messenger (Kurt Elling album)
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| The Messenger | ||||
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| Studio album by Kurt Elling | ||||
| Released | April 8, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | July 1994 - December 1996 | |||
| Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
| Length | 54:54 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood, Paul Wertico | |||
| Kurt Elling chronology | ||||
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The Messenger is the second studio album by Kurt Elling.[1]
Vocalist Cassandra Wilson appears on "Time of the Season".
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album four stars, and described it as "one of the most interesting jazz vocal sets to be released in 1997...Elling covers a wide range of music, continually taking chances and coming up with fresh approaches...This rewarding and continually intriguing set is particularly recommended to listeners who feel that jazz singing has not progressed much beyond bop"[1]
Track listing
- "Nature Boy" (eden ahbez) - 6:09
- "April in Paris" (Vernon Duke, Yip Harburg) - 5:10
- "Beauty of All Things" (Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood) - 8:08
- "The Dance" (Laurence Hobgood) - 1:34
- "Prayer for Mr. Davis" (Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood) - 6:03
- "Endless" (Edward Petersen) - 4:48
- "Tanya Jean" (Donald Byrd, Kurt Elling) - 10:17
- "It's Just a Thing" (Laurence Hobgood, Eric Hochberg, Paul Wertico) - 4:31
- "Gingerbread Boy" (Jimmy Heath) - 5:03
- "Prelude to a Kiss" (Duke Ellington, Mack Gordon, Irving Mills) - 5:27
- "Time of the Season" (Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, Colin Blunstone, Hugh Grundy, Chris White) - 5:53
- "The Messenger" (Kurt Elling, Edward Petersen) - 9:03
Personnel
- Kurt Elling - vocals, arranger
- Laurence Hobgood - piano, synthesizer, arranger
- Orbert Davis - flugelhorn, trumpet
- Edward Petersen - tenor saxophone
- Eddie Johnson - tenor saxophone
- Rob Amster - double bass, acoustic bass, electric bass
- Eric Hochberg - acoustic bass
- Paul Wertico - drums, percussion
- Jim Widlowski - drums, percussion
- Cassandra Wilson - vocals on track 11
- Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood and Paul Wertico - producers
- Roger Heiss - engineer, mixing
- Greg Calbi and Danny Kopelson - engineers
- Ed Blalach - assistant engineer
- Kurt Elling - art direction
- Patrick Roques - design
- William Claxton - photography
- Neil Tesser - liner notes
