Vocalist Kurt Elling was to have performed in Pittsburgh in 2020.

Now, with a 25th Anniversary Virtual Tour from the Green Mill, Chicago for his 25th Anniversary Concert Tour, a series of livestream performances

Celebrating the silver anniversary of Elling’s Blue Note debut, the series will feature five themed concerts on Friday nights in October and November via Mandolin.com.

When he released his Blue Note debut, Close Your Eyes, in 1995, vocalist Kurt Elling could hardly have predicted the career that was to come: more than a dozen GRAMMY nominations, a fourteen-year run atop the DownBeat Critics Poll, eight Jazz Journalists Association awards for “Male Singer of the Year,” collaborations with such renowned artists as Branford Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch and Danilo Pérez, and universal recognition as one of the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. 

Perhaps the most unpredictable fact about that acclaimed album’s 25th anniversary, however, is that it would arrive in the midst of a global pandemic that’s silenced artists and shuttered venues around the globe. Facing such an unprecedented situation and unable to celebrate with audiences in person, Elling has decided to invite the world to join him at his longtime home base, Chicago’s iconic Green Mill. From that familiar stage in October and November, the singer will host a 25th Anniversary Virtual World Tour featuring five themed performances that look back on his rich career while continuing to surprise fans with the inventiveness for which he’s become known over the past quarter-century.  

A 48 hour replay will be available for all shows.