Hello Kurt Elling

As you probably are aware by now, I’m all for a bit of jazz. Not the kind that jumped into bed with popular 80’s exercise and made a jazzercise baby; but the type that forces you to stop what you’re doing… or helps you melt into the couch a little bit more with a good book. Well if that’s your cup of tea in Grandma’s floral China set with a slice of cake, then this is a sweet treat.

Another Grammy Award winning virtuoso is performing right here in Tauranga for the National Jazz Festival. Regarded as a favourite jazz male vocalist by many worldwide and revered by The New York Times as “The standout male vocalist of our time”, Elling is setting foot on stage in New Zealand for the very first time.

I listened to ‘Nature Boy ‘, closed my eyes and woke up on a red velvet chaise with martini in hand and telling clever jokes. Those who know me know that my jokes are never clever. So for a musician to make me appear classy in my imagination is something quite special.

Mr Elling is performing with world renowned saxist* Eric Marienthal who has played with the legendary Elton John & BB King and the illustrious Wellington Jazz Orchestra. It really would be a shame to miss this bit of aural pleasure.  

If you’d like to flirt with a bit of Kurt, he is performing on Friday 6^th April, 8pm at Festival Hall – Baycourt, Tauranga. Tickets available from www.ticketdirect.co.nz

                                                                                                                                              

*My bid for a better term than ‘saxophone player’