Photos: Highlights of Kurt Elling & the Future of Jazz Orchestra at Birdland

Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling returned to Birdland, playing two shows a night from Wednesday March 18 to Saturday March 21, 2026. He performed with the Future of Jazz Orchestra, a Jazz at Lincoln Center-curated big band featuring emerging improvisers. Elling is the winner of three Prix du Jazz Vocal (France), two German Echo Awards, two Dutch Edison Awards, and two GRAMMY wins (with 15 GRAMMY nominations). He's one of contemporary jazz’s most prolific, celebrated voices. BroadwayWorld's Rob Lester called him an "admirably adventurous" singer "with an enormously wide range of material." Elling’s originality is intertwined with his devotion to the masters that came before him, and he regularly writes lyrics to classic melodies and improvisations by iconic artists, such as John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, and Jaco Pastorius.

Find more upcoming shows on Birdland's website.