Kurt Elling

Kurt Elling is a jazz vocalist from Chicago, IL who is perhaps best-known for his abilities and contributions to the style of singing known as vocalese. Similar to scat singing, where the voice is used as a solo instrument typically accompanied by a band or orchestra, vocalese consists of actual lyrics instead of the nonsensical syllables employed in scat singing. Beginning his career in music in 1995, Elling has quickly risen to become one of jazz's most talented and celebrated vocalists--earning his first Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 2010 for his album Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman.