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Kurt Elling (08/11/1997)

August 14, 2026, 11:00 pm

Kurt Elling (Photo by Dave Stapleton)

The magnificent American jazz singer Kurt Elling (1967 –) was Studs Terkel’s guest in 1997. With his his rich baritone voice and four-octave range, Elling had just released The Messenger, the album which cemented his reputation as a producer, arranger, poetic lyricist, composer, and captivating vocalist.

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Meet the Host

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) radically redefined the concept of radio interviews. For 45 years starting in 1952, WFMT was his homebase. His daily radio show was a pillar of WFMT’s programming, with its eclectic and astute mix of music and conversation. Studs juxtaposed interviews with the many of the 20th century’s most significant figures with the voices of uncelebrated, working people from Chicago. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Studs helped established oral history as a popular and socially ambitious literary genre. Some of his titles include: Division Street, Hard Times, Working, Race and And They All Sang (Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey). Studs was also a recipient of the National Book Award.

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Kurt Elling (08/11/1997)