Credit: William Ellis
Today's Humday Happytrack is a version of the good old blues standard, Goin' to Chicago. This is a vocal duet by two great jazz vocalists.
The artists are Kurt Elling and Jon Hendricks. This track was recorded live in 1999 at Chicago's legendary jazz nightclub, The Green Mill. Mr. Elling is perhaps the preeminent male jazz vocalist in the world today - he is a baritone with a four-octave range! He was born in Chicago in 1968, raised in Rockford IL and launched his career in the city of his birth. He decamped to New York City (aka Mecca for jazz musicians) in 2008, but he still comes home frequently. Jon Hendricks is best-known for his work with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, the jazz trio that popularized vocalese. He was one of the elder statesmen of the jazz vocal world when this duet was recorded.
Here's Goin' to Chicago by these two stellar singers. Click on the link and check it out!
Whay do I love this track?
First of all, Elling and Hendricks are obviously having a lot of fun, and I can feel the respect and love flowing between these two. It's wonderful when a current artist like Elling can work with one of his heroes from the preceding generation.
Secondly, I love the spare arrangement! It is just the two singers and Rob Amster's bass walking throught the blues changes. This gives Elling and Hendricks room to stretch out. Make no mistake - this is the real blues, people!
Third, the vocalese intro by Elling. I live in the Chicago area and love the city, and Elling's proud declarations about the city's virtues causes me to nod vigorously in agreement.
Finally, the Green Mill audience reactions became part of the performance. The Green Mill is a small room and the interaction between performers and audience members is intense and sort of intimate.
Elling won two Grammys. Hendricks was a giant of American music - the Lambert Hendricks and Ross song, Twisted was covered by Joni Mitchell. These two jazz guys have an extensive discography - dig in!!
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