While living in Chicago in 1995, Elling decided he was ready to record. He had met pianist Laurence Hobgood through Ed Petersen, who played at the
Green Mill Jazz Club on Monday nights. Elling convinced Hobgood that he was ready to go into the studio, and they came out with nine solid songs. Following the advice of pianist
Fred Simon, the cassette recording was sent to Bill Traut, a manager in Los Angeles, who eventually gave it to
Bruce Lundvall of
Blue Note. In 1995, Elling signed with Blue Note, and the songs on the demo became the Grammy-nominated label debut,
Close Your Eyes (1995). The album features Edward Petersen and
Von Freeman on tenor saxophone, Dave Onderdonk on guitar, Laurence Hobgood on piano, Eric Hochberg and Rob Amster on double bass, and
Paul Wertico on drums. On his second Blue Note album, ‘’
The Messenger’’ (1997), Elling included a distinctive rendition of “
Nature Boy,” the jazz standard written by
eden ahbez and popularized by Nat King Cole. Arranged with pianist Laurence Hobgood, Elling’s version features his signature
vocalese style, blending poetic lyricism with improvisational scat singing. The track, praised for its fresh interpretation, became a fan favorite and a staple in his live performances, including a notable 2008 performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and a 2001 set at the Newport Jazz Festival. In 1999, Elling became a National Trustee for the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and in 2003 he was elected vice-chair and served two terms. In 2006, Elling performed on the television program
Legends of Jazz, in the episode "The Jazz Singers". Elling sang "She's Funny That Way" and performed a duet with
Al Jarreau on "
Take Five". The recording was released on CD and DVD. In August of the same year, Elling signed a contract with
Concord Jazz, and his first album with the label,
Nightmoves, was released in 2007. The follow-up,
Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (2009), is a tribute to the 1963 recording
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, widely recognized as one of the all-time finest jazz vocal albums. The album arose out of a 2005 concert commissioned by the
Chicago Jazz Festival, showcasing the Coltrane-Hartman material. Later, Elling and pianist Laurence Hobgood rearranged the music, culminating in a performance in the Allen Room at the
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. The concert was recorded in January 2009 and the album was released in June. Elling is a baritone with a four-octave range, and a writer and performer of
vocalese, writing and performing words over improvised jazz solos. In 2007, 2012 and 2020, Circumstantial Productions published three editions of
Lyrics: Kurt Elling, collections of Elling's vocalese lyrics edited by
Richard Connolly. In September 2025, Elling made his
Broadway debut as
Hermes in
Hadestown. ==Collaborators==