Kutztown University will partner with Boscov's Berks Jazz Fest to present "Kurt Elling Celebrates Weather Report," featuring special guest drummer Peter Erskine, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, Schaeffer Auditorium. The concert will be the season finale of KU Presents! cultural arts series.
Elling, known for his smooth vocals and his forays into "vocalese," will bring back the incomparable music created by the late saxophonist Wayne Shorter, keyboardist Joe Zawinul and many others in the jazz fusion super-band Weather Report. Erskine performed with the group from 1978-82 as part of the rhythm section, working with the legendary bassist, Jaco Pastorius. In addition to Erskine, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet and guitarist Mike Moreno will accompany him at the KU/Berks Jazz Fest Performance.
A native of Chicago, Elling uses vocalese which is a form of jazz where the artist uses the melody of an instrumental solo to create lyrics. He was greatly influenced by Chicago jazz instrumentalists and vocalists such as Joe Williams, Ray Brown, Betty Carter and Eddie Johnson to help shape his sound.
He performs 180 nights a year, and has released 17 solo albums, the latest of which are "Wildflowers Vol. 1" and "Wildflowers" Vol. 2" (2024). He has collaborated with countless other artists, including The Yellowjackets, the Manhattan Transfer, John Pizzarelli, Branford Marsalis and Renee Fleming.
Tickets for Kurt Elling with special guest Peter Erskine are $56, $48 for seniors and $15 for students. They can be purchased at www.KutztownPresents.org or by calling KU Presents! Box Office 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, at 610-683-4092. Established to be the center of cultural life at Kutztown University, KU Presents! serves the campus and community by bringing world-class live arts that entertain, educate and enrich.
For a complete guide to Boscov's Berks Jazz Fest 2025, visit www.berksjazzfest.com, where you can view the schedule along with artist bios, news and other information, including how to purchase tickets through the festival's own system.