Home > Line up 2023 > 20 july 2023 > SuperBlue : Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter

After winning his second Grammy Award (and 14^th nomination) in March 2021, the shape-shifting singer Kurt Elling has taken an unexpected turn with SuperBlue for Edition Records. This is a torrent of rough funk, indelible rhythms and ultra-modern lyrics, benefiting from the talents of producer-guitarist Charlie Hunter and two stars of the hip-hop generation: the drummer Corey Fonville and the bassist/keyboardist DJ Harrison (both from the group Butcher Brown). Elling has always been a master of grooves, travelling from bebop to pure pop and from progressive jazz to neo-soul, but never before has he filled an entire album with grooves like this. The musicians of Butcher Brown have long admired Elling, widely acclaimed as jazz's greatest male vocalist. Elling has also relied on the production expertise of Charlie Hunter to connect his worlds with those of Butcher Brown. With his untouchable credibility in the jazz and groove scenes, Hunter is perhaps the only musician who could have done it. Elling's meandering lyrics combine with psychedelic production to make "Super Blue", Freddie Hubbard's late-70s fusion gem, the latest addition to his portrait gallery of jazz classics. With Super Blue, Elling continues on this path of bold collaboration – within the confines of a global lock-down – to chart a striking new direction, in a project that is sure to win over new listeners and delight the ears of his devoted admirers.

Line up

Kurt Elling: vocals
Charlie Hunter: guitar
DJ Harrison: keyboards
Corey Fonville: drums, percussion