The term “Brill Building Sound” describes the string of rock-and-roll masterpieces that defined the genre and signaled its first maturing. From the mid-1930s through the early 1970s, the architects of the “Brill Building Sound” churned out a preponderance of the popular songs that three generations of America grew up hearing and singing.

Of these, the vast majority were composers and lyricists. The vast collection of songs coming out of The Brill Building seemed like a gold mine.”Ī honeycomb of offices and claustrophobic studios at 1619 Broadway, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the fabled Brill Building at its peak served as the creative home for more than 160 tenants associated with the pop-music industry. “I didn't want to cover any of the New York songwriters jazz people usually go to: the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, all of whom I love I wanted to reach out for something different. (All told, every one of Elling's nine albums has been nominated for at least one jazz Grammy – a streak unequalled in Grammy history.)īut in fact, Elling and his family have lived in Manhattan since 2008, and 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project is his response to that experience. Elling developed his craft in Chicago, and recorded his early albums there, including his 1995 debut, Close Your Eyes, which catapulted him onto the national stage and earned the first of his many Grammy nominations. “Having done so many projects about my love for Chicago,” he says, “I wanted to make something that spoke of my love for New York.”

1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project honors a locale that the London Telegraph called “the most important generator of popular songs in the Western world.” Even for the ceaselessly inventive Elling it's a hugely unexpected step, and one guaranteed to further solidify his reputation for bold innovation and superb craftsmanship. With this new album, Elling celebrates a legendary legacy outside the jazz world. This eleven-track collection features renditions of classic songs that came out of the Brill Building. Kurt Elling: 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building ProjectĬoncord Jazz is proud to announce the release of 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project, the newest album from the foremost jazz male vocalist, Kurt Elling.

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