DATE: Monday, September 29, 1997            TAG: 9709290069

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Music Review 

SOURCE: BY JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   36 lines

ELLING AND COMPANY PROVIDED LIVELY JAZZ AT BEACH CONCERT

The Tidewater Performing Arts Center, by hosting an evening of jazz Saturday at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Theater, did a very good thing for what was, unfortunately, a midsized crowd.

Featuring the magnificent vocal work of Kurt Elling, backed by the Laurence Hobgood Trio, and a fun, loose opening set by the Danilo Perez Trio, the evening was quality jazz in a fine, understated setting.

Elling, 29, is an adventurous singer, combining scat, Kerouac-like poetry outbursts and a fine range to deliver flamboyant takes on standards and material written by him and Hobgood, his main cohort from his days blowing the heck out of Chicago clubs.

Highlights included the group's take on the standards ``April in Paris'' and ``Time of the Season.'' Both cuts appear on his new album, ``The Messenger.''

Few people sing the classic lines ``What's your name/Who's your daddy'' so well.

Perez, featuring spirited bass work by John Benitez but uneven drumming by Jeff Ballard, played a fun set in which he brought audience participation to new heights. Perhaps excessively so - but the crowd was up for it.

The pianist shows flashes of Latin and classical playing. Fused with his Thelonious Monk-heavy set (his current record, ``PanaMonk,'' is something of a tribute album), his playing and arrangements had great movement.

Perez is also a fun performer to watch. His feet always moved, and he could often be heard singing melodies. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Kurt Elling

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu