Kurt Elling Releases New Rendition of Al Jarreau’s “Boogie Down”

Multi-GRAMMY Award Winner Kurt Elling
Releases New Rendition of Al Jarreau’s “Boogie Down”

New Covers EP Guilty Pleasures
Featuring Charlie Hunter and Nate Smith
Out February 17th

Follow up to Elling & Hunter’s
2021 GRAMMY Nominated Album SuperBlue

January 27, 2023: Multi-GRAMMY award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling released his new rendition of Al Jarreau’s “Boogie Down” — it’s the second single from his upcoming release Guilty Pleasures, a 6-track EP featuring guitarist Charlie Hunter and special guest drummer Nate Smith. Bursting with Elling’s trademark charisma, energy and showmanship, Guilty Pleasures (out February 17th) features six high-octane covers. WRTI praised Elling’s recording of “Boogie Down,” saying “Mixed with drums and vocals way out front, so that they seem to leap out of your speakers, the track highlights a side of Elling that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. When folks talk about his place in the jazz-vocal lineage, they often rightly note the moves he copped from Jon Hendricks and Mark Murphy — but don’t always mention Jarreau, a springier and more slithery influence.”

“I’ve finally had the chance to cover some Al Jarreau!” says Elling. “Al was always so kind to me and full of joy and dancing, and I’m excited to tip my hat to his loving memory.”

Guilty Pleasures is a continuation of Elling’s SuperBlue collaboration with Charlie Hunter. A torrent of boisterous funk, indelible beats and all-too-current lyrics, 2021’s debut SuperBlue album was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, and was met with acclaim from Chicago Tribune, Downbeat, WBGO, Jazziz, and more. The second SuperBlue album will be released in fall of 2023.

Guilty Pleasures offers listeners a guiltless treat — along with Al Jarreau’s “Boogie Down,” covers on the EP include Eddie Money’s “Baby Hold On,” PJ Morton’s “Sticking to My Guns,” AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” a new rendition of Nate Smith’s “Bounce,” and Sam & Dave’s “Wrap It Up,” which was released earlier this month.

“Charlie and I are over the moon to be able to put out some tracks with our friend Nate Smith,” says Elling. “We had one afternoon and some random song ideas going into the studio… Man! I hope we can do it again some time!”

Elling first met Hunter when both were signed to Blue Note Records in the late 1990s. They struck up an immediate rapport, leading to Elling’s guest appearance on Hunter’s album Songs From the Analog Playground. With his unassailable cred in both worlds, Hunter bridges the gap between the jazz and groove camps. “Between the records he’s made with cats like D’Angelo and John Mayer and A Tribe Called Quest, Charlie is a made guy in that world, just as he has the respect of jazz people,” says Elling.

The universal accolades for Elling don’t always mention his relentless, career-long, search for new vistas. He’s recorded an album of global love songs (Passion World) and transformed the Christmas tradition (The Beautiful Day); he’s written lyrics to jazz classics, staked out 1960s-70s rock-n-roll (on 1619 Broadway), and entered into a galvanic partnership, on disc and on tour, with Branford Marsalis’s quartet. He earned his first GRAMMY for updating the historic collaboration between John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Dedicated to You), and his most recent statuette for Secrets Are The Best Stories, his Latin-inspired project with modern piano giant Danilo Perez.

Guilty Pleasures will be released February 17th via Edition Records.

Tracklisting:
1. Baby Hold On (Eddie Money Cover)
2. Wrap It Up (Sam & Dave Cover)
3. Boogie Down (Al Jarreau Cover)
4. Bounce (Nate Smith Cover)
5. Sticking to My Guns (PJ Morton Cover)
6. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC Cover)

Missing Piece Group