Close Your Eyes (album)

Reception

The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos awarded the album four stars, and said "Chicago vocalist Elling pushes the envelope, challenging listeners and his musicians with beat poetry, ranting, and his Mark Murphy-ish singing. There's quite a bit of dramatist/actor in Elling, although the romantic in him is also pretty prevalent...There's clearly more in store for Elling as he matures, but this is as auspicious a vocal jazz debut as the world has heard.a worthy statement from Elling, who shows yet again that vocal jazz can be more than just easy listening"

Track listing

1. "Close Your Eyes" (Bernice Petkere) - 6:06
2. "Dolores Dream" (Kurt Elling, Wayne Shorter) - 6:32
3. "Ballad of The Sad Young Men" (Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf) - 6:17
4. "Hide the Salomé" (Elling) - 6:59
5. "Married Blues" (Laurence Hobgood, Eric Hochberg, Kenneth Rexroth, Paul Wertico) - 1:29
6. "Storyteller Experiencing Total Confusion" (Elling, Jim Heynen, Edward Petersen) - 6:15
7. "Never Say Goodbye" (Elling, Hobgood) - 5:30
8. "Those Clouds Are Heavy, You Dig?" (Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond) - 3:07
9. "Wait till You See Her" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) - 3:57
10. "Hurricane" (Elling, Herbie Hancock) - 4:50
11. "Now It Is Time That Gods Came Walking Out" (Hobgood, Hochberg, Rainer Maria Rilke, Wertico) - 2:03
12. "Never Never Land" (Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne) - 5:00
13. "Remembering Veronica" (Elling, Hobgood) - 4:16

Personnel