Living Jazz Presents: Call & Response: Intimate Talk with Kurt Elling, Moderated by Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 Featured Guest Kurt Elling Moderated by Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz Renowned for his singular combination of robust swing and poetic insight, GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling has secured his place among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. Declared “the standout male vocalist of our time” by The New York Times, Elling has garnered unprecedented accolades, including a fourteen-year run atop the DownBeat Critics Poll, a dozen GRAMMY nominations, and eight Jazz Journalists Association awards for “Male Singer of the Year.” Elling’s voice is instantly recognizable, embracing listeners with his warm, rich baritone and navigating the full span of his four-octave range as a virtuoso instrumentalist and a compelling storyteller. Whether transforming timeless standards or crafting his own enthralling originals, Elling balances elegant lyricism and technical mastery with wry humor, emotional depth, and keen observations into the human condition. “Elling combines authenticity with stunning originality,” is how The Wall Street Journal describes his talents, while The Guardian has called him “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers.” The Toronto Star has gone so far as to say that “Kurt Elling is the closest jazz will ever get to having its own saint,” while The Guardian makes up one voice in a chorus calling him “one of jazz’s all-time great vocalists.” Taking the long view of Elling’s audacious and richly varied career, the Washington Post lauded, “Since the mid-1990s, no singer in jazz has been as daring, dynamic or interesting as Kurt Elling. With his soaring vocal flights, his edgy lyrics and sense of being on a musical mission, he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz.” kurtelling.com KATE MCGARRY & KEITH GANZ More concerned with the essence of a song than idiomatic limitations, vocalist Kate McGarry and guitarist Keith Ganz have managed to attract the attention of tomorrow’s jazz fans. Beyond their obvious affinity for swing, their eclectic repertoire ranging from Irving Berlin to The Cars, and her signature contralto convey a message with a crystal clarity that precludes the need for gimmick or effect. All that’s left is undeniably honest music that transcends the boundaries of age or genre. With seven records including the 2018 Grammy nominated, The Subject Tonight Is Love she’s established herself as one of contemporary jazz's most moving and enigmatic voices. Ganz brings the same authority with his guitar. A North Carolina boy, Ganz has rigorously pursued his craft since moving to New York in 1998, playing around the world with the likes of Harry Connick Jr, Kurt Elling, Luciana Souza and many more. The couple reside in Durham NC and enjoy teaching, traveling and performing across the globe. katemcgarry.com keithganz.com