Howard Reich’s column was right on the mark regarding the over-hype of pseudo artists (“Jazz Blands,” Arts & Entertainment, Aug. 31). For Diana Krall, a small group of us bought her CD, as well as the promotion that she was a winner on the way up.
A visit to the Jazz Showcase showed us how wrong we were. She was almost disdainful of her audience and tapped out very average chords. Having been weaned on the likes of Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, whom we also just saw at the Jazz Showcase, along with formerly handling publicity for Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis, Horace Silver and others back in the ’60s, the experience was most disappointing.
We discovered Kurt Elling at his concert in Glen Ellyn’s College of DuPage Arts Center several weeks ago, then saw him again at the park district’s opening night of Jazz in the Park three weeks ago. Now here is someone truly on the rise. We were reinforced on our early bet that we will be hearing from him again and again from deserved plaudits.
The Laurence Hobgood Trio supported him in Glen Ellyn, and Paul Wertico was near magic. Unfortunately, Elling does not have a great voice, but he is rather a commanding presence and (offers) a fabulous total show. So the disappointing sales of his product is not surprising. But we will go again to hear him almost anywhere.
Good column. We’re reading and reacting.
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