While I have enjoyed Kurt and Laurence’s interplay on the song, and marveled at Kurt’s feats of breath control on the long phrases, I have often wondered, “Who are these sad young men Kurt is singing about?” and this paper became an opportunity for me to try and find out. On this recording, Kurt and pianist Laurence Hobgood duet on “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men,” by lyricist Fran Landesman and composer/pianist Tommy Wolf. One of my favorites is a performance that appears on vocalist Kurt Elling’s debut recording for Blue Note records, Close Your Eyes, released in 1995. The Mutability of Meaning and Context in “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men”Īs a jazz pianist who accompanies jazz vocalists, often in a duo setting, I am an avid listener to vocal/piano duo performances.
