The Natural Sound Workshop led to a fascination with the ‘new’ scat singing. Kirk’s collaborations with pioneering vocalists Jay Clayton, Theo Bleckmann and John DeRobertis have been a central element in his music. Other distinguished vocalists who have interpreted his music include Judy Niemack, Shiela Jordan, Jeanne Lee, Janis Siegel, Shelley Hirsch, Kendra Shank, Yolande Bavan and Bertilla Baker. Nurock has written over 500 jazz vocals; many are settings of classic poetry by Shakespeare, Whitman, Dickinson, Robert Louis Stevenson and Dorothy Parker.
In 1990, he formed a duo with cutting-edge vocalist, Theo Bleckmann. "Theo & Kirk," as they were known, recorded and toured extensively in the US and Europe. Two beautiful CD's document their work together: "Theo & Kirk" [Traumton 2404] and "Looking Glass River" [Traumton 2412], available online.
“From Bleckmann’s
throat an entire world of most different creatures is arising. And Nurock’s
personal style is so much his own that there are simply no comparisons.”
- Die Tageszeitung (Berlin)
