1998 · Album
This Time It's Love
Recorded 1998 · Blue Note · Produced by [Laurence Hobgood] and Kurt Elling, with [Paul Wertico] as associate producer
Elling Finds Romance Without Losing the Edge
Elling balances romantic restraint with vocal invention, proving sentiment and sophistication aren't opposites.
This Time It's Love arrived in 1998 to immediate critical attention. AllMusic reviewer Tim Sheridan awarded it four stars, noting that Elling "finds a happy medium between romantic rumination and vocal experimentation." The album also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Vocal Jazz Performance—Elling's third consecutive nod since his debut. While it didn't win (losing to Shirley Horn's I Remember Miles), the nomination confirmed he was already a serious voice in contemporary jazz, not a novelty.
The album represents Elling working within constraints that could have felt limiting. Blue Note asked him to lean romantic, and rather than resisting, he made that the whole point. The core band—Laurence Hobgood on piano, Rob Amster on bass, and Michael Raynor on drums—creates space for genuine intimacy alongside vocal risk-taking. Guest appearances from guitarist David Onderdonk and Chicagoan veterans Johnny Frigo and Eddie Johnson add texture without clutter. Hobgood and Elling co-produced with Paul Wertico as associate, giving the record a unified sound.
The repertoire sits mostly in standards territory, but two originals carry real weight: the celebrated "Freddie's Yen for Jen" (which Sheridan called "a stellar jazz experience") and a McCoy Tyner composition. This is Elling early in his career proving he could honor the jazz ballad tradition while remaining visibly present as a vocalist—not an interpreter disappearing into the material, but a personality engaging with it.
Who's playing
Rob Amsterdouble bass
Laurence Hobgoodpiano
Dave Onderdonkguitar
Eddie Johnsontenor saxophone
Brad Wheelersoprano saxophone
Johnny Frigoviolin
Paul Werticomembranophone
