Chicago-born Kurt Elling has won the hearts of many music lovers with his deep baritone voice. In addition to his sublime scat singing, he distinguishes himself from his peers with his jazz rants: a mix of melodic improvisation and extemporaneous monologues. Today, he is regarded by many as the best jazz vocalist of the past two decades. Elling has won the DownBeat Critics Poll fourteen years in a row and bagged two Grammys from his fourteen nominations. On his latest album, SuperBlue, he once again teams up with master guitarist and composer Charlie Hunter. Elling and Hunter previously collaborated on the album Songs From The Analog Playground. Their new project sounds surprisingly funky and groovy. Add the high-energy, horn-driven sound of the ensemble Huntertones Horns to these contemporary jazz greats and a party at the festival seems inevitable.
