Elling's vocals cool, smooth

KURT ELLING, JAZZSLC, City Centre Sheraton, Monday

Cool tunes in a hot ballroom. That was the flavor of the Kurt Elling show Monday night.

Elling was backed by a moving trio that gave his voice some smooth ground to walk upon. And by the standing ovation at the end of the gig, it appeared the audience felt the vibes.

At times Elling's voice was a mix of Lou Rawls, Frank Sinatra and Bill Withers. And there were times when Elling would tap into the "beat" spirit of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac to spout off streams of consciousness.

Songs from the upcoming album "Nightmoves" set the tone for the evening, but it was "My Foolish Heart," from the 1998 album "This Time It's Love," that started off the evening.

Pianist Laurence Hobgood and bassist Rob Amster — who have played with Elling since his 1995 debut album, "Close Your Eyes" — and drummer Willie Jones III pumped it up with some heavy-duty improvisational solos throughout the night. The clear piano and bass runs, along with syncopated rhythms, rang out from the sound system as Elling's roller-coaster vocals hit the highs and lows of his extended range.

The pairing of Irving Berlin's "Change Partners" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "If You Never Come to Me" were matched by Elling's interpretation of Alan Pasqua's "And We Will Fly" and a roaming take on Bobby Timmons' "Moanin"'

Speaking of Timmons, Elling gave the responding audience some "Soul Food," which was written by Timmons collaborators Jon Hendricks and Horace Silver.

Flowing poems of Walt Whitman and Theodore Roethke were given musical life during "The Sleepers" and "The Wakening," respectively. And "A New Body and Soul," written by Elling for his 17-month-old daughter, capitalized on the Dexter Gordon groove style.

The centerpiece of the evening was an atmospheric offering that tied together Kerouac's famous adventurers, Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise, from the beat bible "On the Road." Elling's restless and picturesque delivery painted pictures of the two experiencing the nocturnal wonders of Chicago, featuring a shaded and grinning cameo by George Shearing.

At the beginning of the night, University of Utah music-school director Robert Wazel honored Gordon Hanks, Hank's daughter Amanda Lufkin and Michael MacKay, the founders of the GAM foundation, which organized the JazzSLC series at the Sheraton.

---

E-mail: scott@desnews.com