Kurt Elling

Two-time GRAMMY-winning vocalist Kurt Elling joins the internationally acclaimed WDR Big Band to celebrate their acclaimed album In The Brass Palace in July 2027. Under the direction of legendary saxophonist, composer, and arranger Bob Mintzer, the program features striking new arrangements of music by Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Duke Ellington, John Scofield, Joe Jackson, and more — blending Elling’s fearless improvisation, emotional depth, and unmistakable voice with the full force and precision of one of the world’s great jazz orchestras.

Following his acclaimed run as Hermes in the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown, two-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling returns with Sermonette / If It’s True, a new double-sided digital single arriving July 3 on Big Shoulders Records.
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The release pairs two recordings from different musical worlds. On "Sermonette," Elling has written an original vocalese to a Harry “Sweets” Edison solo on the Cannonball Adderley classic. Elling builds upon the groundbreaking original lyric by Jon Hendricks while bringing the song into the present day through themes of truth, compassion, and civic responsibility. The recording features acclaimed pianist Luther Allison.
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The companion track, "If It's True," captures Elling's interpretation of one of Hadestown's defining songs and marks his first recording following his acclaimed Broadway debut as Hermes. The performance features GRAMMY Award-winning pianist John Beasley alongside Hadestown guitarist Ilusha Tsinadze, creating a direct musical connection to the Broadway production.
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Together, the two tracks reflect the range of Elling’s work as a vocalist, lyricist, and storyteller, moving comfortably between jazz and musical theater while remaining rooted in the power of the lyric.“Jazz has always been a forum for truth-telling,” says Elling. “‘Sermonette’ gave me the opportunity to revisit a swinging but less-often-played Cannonball classic with a lyric that directly addresses the moment we’re living through with humor and an honest point of view. Although ‘If It’s True’ is a song that belongs to Orpheus in Hadestown and not to Hermes, the character I portrayed, the content composer Anaïs Mitchell created makes it a potent lyrical and emotional
counterpoint to ‘Sermonette’. Both songs ask us what we believe and what we’re willing to stand for.”
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Released over Independence Day weekend, Sermonette / If It’s True continues Elling’s tradition engaging the present moment with a signature combination of jazz, poetry, and storytelling

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KURT ELLING:CHICAGO NIGHTS (May 2027)

After serving as Co-Artistic Director alongside Herbie Hancock for Chicago’s International Jazz Day 2026 celebrations, two-time Grammy winner Kurt Elling returns with a performance deeply connected to the city that shaped his musical identity. Long before the international touring career, Elling developed his voice in Chicago clubs like The Green Mill, coming up in a scene where individuality mattered, musicians pushed each other creatively, and no two nights ever felt the same.
That spirit still runs through his music today. Elling moves easily between classic repertoire, modern jazz, spontaneous improvisation, and storytelling, always bringing a sense of connection and honesty to the performance. Widely regarded as one of the leading jazz vocalists of his generation, he brings the depth,imagination, and creative openness that remain central to the Chicago jazz tradition.

GRAMMY® Award-winner Kurt Elling is without question today’s preeminent male jazz vocalist, renowned worldwide for his unparalleled virtuosity and flair for trailblazing artistic exploration. From his stunning reinvention of timeless standards to his own captivating original songcraft, the Chicago-based musician has fused his dazzling talents across a panoply of musical approaches, emblazoning each with signature imagination, insight, and emotional intelligence.

With multiple Grammy nominations, two Grammy Wins as well as three Prix du Jazz Vocal, two German Echo, and two Dutch Edison Awards, the storytelling and force of nature Jazz artist is flying high now with a sense of unpredictability.