Kurt Elling - Up On The Roof
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Moving into soul and rock-edged territory with his previous album, The Gate, Kurt Elling heads over to Broadway, with his latest recording centring on some of the timeless tunes from midtown Manhattan’s iconic hit factory, The Brill Building.
Peter Quinn talks to him about journeying inside this historical music goldmine
Question: what do ‘Jailhouse Rock’, ‘Walk On By’ and ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’’ have in common? Answer: they’re the tip of a vast iceberg of hits that emanated from midtown Manhattan’s fabled Brill Building between the mid1930s and the early-1970s. And it’s to this vast goldmine of songs that Kurt Elling directs his gaze for 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project. Ever the innovator, the album’s song list contains even more surprises than last year’s The Gate.
This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #169 – to read the full article click here to subscribe and receive a FREE CD...