 Kurt Elling © Andea Canter  Kurt Elling © Andea Canter Elling earn seven GRAMMY nominations or six Blue Note albums, six consecutive years at the top of the Down Beat critics and Jazz Times Readers' polls, three Jazz Journalists' Association wards for Best Male Vocalist and the Prix Billie Holiday from the Academie du Jazz in Paris.
 Ernie Watts Watts’ eclectic mix of career activities includes current work with Kurt Elling in a tribute to Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane with string quartet. He has taken part in Jazz at the Kennedy Center for Billy Taylor, and recently toured Australia with Billy Cobham and orchestra.” A typical year finds Watts touring Europe with his own quartet, in Asia as a featured guest artist and performing at summer festivals throughout North America and Europe, often with Charlie Haden’s Quartet West. He gives back to the music by conducting student clinics and master classes. Watts has also compiled a collection of orchestral arrangements for guest soloist appearances with symphonies. And there is the occasional “hometown gig” with the Ernie Watts Quartet in Los Angeles, where he is still based.  Laurence Hobgood
Hobgood received three consecutive fellowships to perform in the Aspen Music Festival's 90, 91 and 92 seasons. There he played with Clark Terry, Gary Burton, Eddie Daniels, Sheila Jordon, Bob Mintzer, and Mark Whitfield among others.
In 1993 Hobgood met vocalist Kurt Elling and began a collaboration which resulted in Elling's signing with the storied Blue Note label; with Hobgood as his co-producer and musical director Elling received Grammy nominations for each of his first three Blue Note releases. The two of them were named 1995 Chicagoans of the year in the Arts by the Chicago Trbune. They've toured Europe, Israel, Australia, Canada, played Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center; Elling's third album "This Time it's Love" reached #1 in national jazz radio play. The Kuumbwa Jazz Center is located at 320-2 Cedar Street in Santa Cruz. Call (831) 427-2227 or visit www.kuumbwajazz.org for ticket information. Yoshi’s in San Francisco is located at 1330 Fillmore. Visit www.yoshis.com for ticket information. Catalina's is located at 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Two sets each night at 8 and 10 pm; For more information and tickets, visit www.catalinajazzclub.com |
SF Bay Area 
Tuesday, 09 February 2010
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