Biography

Kurt Elling, born in 1967, is a grand jazz singer from Chicago. He grew up singing in church and playing several instruments, but didn’t get introduced to jazz until he attended Gustavus Adolphus College. Elling began playing at clubs in the Chicago area and started developing his theatrical, powerful, and unique style of singing. In 1995, Elling got signed to Blue Note. His rich and deep baritone voice began to captivate audiences across the nation, which led him to start a full-time career as a jazz vocalist. Throughout his career, he has released more than a dozen records… 2 of which were awarded a GRAMMY for “Best Jazz Vocal Album”. Additionally, he has received 15 GRAMMY nominations. Kurt Elling now has more than 500,000 monthly listeners across all streaming platforms.