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40 Kurt Elling tracks

Ahead of the Kurt Elling Ronnie Scott’s residency this week here are 40 tracks featuring the singer that pack the biggest punch in terms of interpretation, delivery, and overall performance to whet your appetite

40 ‘Rosa Morena’ bossa time from This Time It’s Love. Understated and all the better for it.

39 On ‘The Beauty of All Things’ Elling showed his control at speed on this nimble track from The Messenger.

38 On ‘I Get Along Without You Very Well’ part of Elling’s appeal is his maturity and believability. From Flirting With Twilight.

37 ‘Matte Kudasai’. Who would have thought it? The Kurtster does King Crimson. Laconic and persuasive. From the Don Was-produced album The Gate.

36 Lovely swinging stuff from the band on ‘April in Paris’, and Elling responds and how! Featured on The Messenger.

35 No pressure let’s be Frank: on ‘Come Fly With Me’ Elling doesn’t do the obvious and refuses to deal with it as a swinger. He adds new depth in the process. From the new 1619 Broadway album.

34 On ‘Norwegian Wood’ Elling opens the song up, and what a guitar solo from John McLean. From The Gate.

33 ‘Remembering Veronica’. Adventurous but still familiar. From Close Your Eyes.

32 Wonderfully weighted take on Paul Simon’s ‘An American Tune’, a highlight of 1619 Broadway. Elling does mournful.

31 On ‘Orange Blossoms in Summertime’ it’s hip and laidback. From Flirting With Twilight.

30 ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ is the ultimate Elling suburban critique, and a nod to Ken Nordine into the bargain. From 1619 Broadway.

29 ‘After the Love Has Gone’ sees Elling step back into a private zone. Quietly moving. From The Gate.

28 ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ from Live in Chicago. An over familiar song holds no fear.

27 ‘Tutti for Cootie’ Ridiculously catchy and lively, it’s wise guy time. From the new Brill Building album.

26 ‘You Send Me’ also from 1619 Broadway. A vibey treatment.

25 ‘A Time for Love’ from This Time It’s Love, and Elling shows he’s not just sentimental and blue.

24 ‘Lil’ Darlin’’ can be a boring big band staple these days. In Elling’s hands at a slow tempo it more than earns its place on this list. From Flirting With Twilight.

23 Scat time ‘Downtown live’ from the Live in Chicago album: “Sing along now”, says Kurt!

22 ‘Higher Vibe’ from Man in the Air. The spiritual side without any of the usual phoney banter.

21 On ‘Easy Living’ the horns respond as if Elling is a horn player himself. From Flirting With Twilight.

20 A very nuanced take on ‘The Very Thought of You’. Again from This Time It’s Love, made during Elling’s Blue Note years.

19 ‘Man in the air’: ‘He can fly off anywhere’ can the man in the air, and so too can Elling on the title track to one of his best albums.

18 ‘Steppin’ Out’ is about turning a likeable enough pop song into a classic swinger. Elling makes Joe Jackson’s song really move. From The Gate.

17 ‘Prelude to a Kiss’ from The Messenger: E is for Ellington, too.

16 ‘Tight’ from Night Moves. Sage advice from the singer. Truly effortless.

15 ‘Night Dream Live’, on home ground on the live Chicago album. Tremendous impact and band energy here.

14 ‘They Say It’s Wonderful’ Warm and swinging. From Dedicated to You.

13 On ‘Minuano’ it’s a case of getting completely inside the Pat Metheny classic composition. From Man in the Air.

12 On ‘Nature Boy’ the Chicagoan is optimistic and elegant as he powers up on The Messenger.

11 ‘All Or Nothing At All’ from the Coltrane and Johnny Hartman album Dedicated To You. Lots of drama and this live recording crackles with energy.

10 ‘Time To say Goodbye’: comforting and comfortably accomplished. From Man in the Air. There’s no need to try to impress any more.

9 ‘I’m Thru With Love’, Elling’s great on material associated with Nat King Cole. From Flirting with Twilight.

8 ‘A New Body and Soul’ from Nightmoves. Technique, expression, improvisational flair, it’s got it all.

7 ‘Ballad of the Sad Young Men’: Almost dropping the tempo to a dead stop on this Landesmann/Wolf classic back in the 1990s on Close Your Eyes.

6 ‘Lush Life (Live)’ Classic take on the Strayhorn song. From Dedicated to You.

5 ‘You Are Too Beautiful’: Corny but effective. The audience love it and they’re not faking. Again from Dedicated to You.

4 ‘In The Winelight’ from Man in the Air. It’s all about the feel. Almost genius.

3 ‘Golden Lady’ a tremendous counter-intuitive version of Stevie Wonder’s song. From The Gate.

2 ‘Nancy With the Laughing Face’. Phil Silvers’ song got very lucky. From Dedicated To You.

1 ‘Nightmoves’ Darkness and light come together on this Michael Franks song. From the 2007 album of the same name.