99 Quotes by Kurt Elling

I know how hard it's been for me to get my thing out there.

It's easy to get tired of religious fundamentalists. They're such a bore. They have no sense of mystery. It's a drag, man.

A lot of people are put off by the idea of scat singing. Either that or it's something to be made fun of.

I was very lucky that more experienced musicians allowed me to caterwaul until I figured out what it was really about.

My goal is to be really incredible by the time I'm 70.

I think my intention was there, and my love for the music was apparent. And there are very few singers who get up and desire to take the kinds of risks that jazz musicians routinely need to be taking.

I'm one of the culprits who keeps turning stuff around, shaking up original tunes and trying to stand the canon on its ear. But sometimes, you just need to sing the song.

It's true that I'm not known as a crooner or balladeer. I'm known for a more crusading or quixotic temperament.

There is an actor's responsibility in presenting the emotional content of the lyrics to an audience. But whether you do that in a straightforward fashion or an ironic fashion or a blase fashion is all about opportunities, and singers are missing opportunities as artists if they don't pay attention to the lyric.