The acclaimed Chicago-born jazz singer Kurt Elling is touring Britain and continental Europe at the moment. He has recently released an excellent covers album, The Gate, and I’m particularly taken by his fantastic treatment of Norwegian Wood, not least since I’m no great fan of the Beatles as performers. (If I were trying to sum up my aversion, I would say I hear far too much metronome and far too little Africa.)
Elling, a four-octave baritone, reworks the tune to combine great vocalising with a delicate poignancy and a splendid arrangement, especially the unexpected edgy guitar break by John McLean, which adds yet another fresh dimension to the original. This is uplifting artistry at its finest. The producer of the album, which is seriously worth exploring, is Don Was.
Enjoy a brilliant new setting of Norwegian Wood in this superb 11-minute NPR interview by Liane Hansen, with Elling in New York and Was in California:
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/20/133876814/kurt-elling-a-jazz-singer-stretches-his-songbook
On the Elling website, older tracks are available to listen to in full:
http://kurtelling.com/kurtradio/
mlksounds 