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Make you hollar loudly that you’re glad enough to be a man…

Submitted entry: I got to see Kurt Elling last night. It was a late night - didn’t get in the door until about midnight last night butWOW what a good time. The opening band was very good led by Fred Herschwho is apparently quite some composer (I don’t know my jazz). That wasabout an hour.

Then, after a break we came back in and it was Kurt’s turn. Before I goany further let me tell you - I had the best seat in the house. Nobodywas closer to the stage. Five feet away tops. If he knocked his mic overit would have hit me on the head.

Anyway, remember his lament about the Musikfest audience? And how sad he was when we talked to him afterward and told him how much we had enjoyed the concert? Well, he musthave thought he didn’t have that audience here because he was FANTASTIC.I had no idea, but he isn’t just a vocalist, he’s an entertainer in thespirit of the 40s jazz singers. Hysterically funny and having so muchfun himself it’s hard not to get sucked in. And the audience did. Somefunny moments:

He introduces “Freddie’s Yen for Jen” (the one about her kisses: they’renever ficticious, always lubricious, make you holler loudly that you’reglad to be a man…) Anyway, apparently that song is vocalese - where youtake an instrumental solo from a jazz song you like and then build lyricsfor it. Well, he didn’t know this when he wrote the lyrics but apparentlythe person who wrote the original instrumental version wrote the song forhis MOTHER. Which of course led to lots of subtly funny cringing at hisown lyrics.

He theatrically recited a hipster translation of the Julius Ceasar speechthat begins “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” which had the audienceabsolutely dying laughing.

So seriously - our disappointment at how reserved the concert was inBethlehem? We had no IDEA how disappointed we should have been. With agood audience he becomes the funniest, coolest person you ever met. Whichsort of gave me something of a grand unification theory of style.

Perhaps, on his deathbed, Frank Sinatra, possibly estranged from his son,changed his will, sending all of his style to Kurt and leaving his son outtotally. Sure, Sinatra’s son has style and can entertainbut it’s the swagger that ruins it all.

Kurt can swagger and pull itoff - swagger and look pleased with himself, not like a smug asshole.

His band was his usual one. Laurence Hobgood was on piano, one person onupright bass and a third on drums. The band was absolutly flawless.

At 7:00 PM when I got to Santa Fe I was considering finding a hotelbecause I was so tired. Then he first band was kind of quiet and dreamyand I considered it even more seriously kind of zoning out pleasantly ontheir music. But after Kurt I was wired and able to drive all the wayhome at 11:30. I didn’t stay after to talk to him though I could have.

There was a line and frankly I’m not worthy.

Anyway - I am really glad I was encouraged by everone to go. It was sucha good time and an excellent break even though I lost sleep over it.

A Sense Of Accomplishment

I do not play bingo.