The sound of divine timing.

For jazz singer Elliott Farmer, life truly begins at 60. And we’re not talking retirement. After honorably working jobs from school locksmith to transporter of rare florals, Elliott is now firmly planted in his life’s passion: vocally interpreting the finest of songs.

The evidence lies within his hard-won debut, Eleven-Eleven — eleven songs cherry-picked from disparate yet highly distinctive spaces. Lovingly produced by multi-Grammy-nominated recording artist and A-list percussion master Harvey Mason (a cousin to Elliott who’s produced a broad range of artists from Dionne Warwick, Esther Phillips and Shirley Brown to Seawind and Midnight Star) and ingeniously arranged by pianist Lawrence Hobgood (a Grammy-winner for his work with Kurt Elling), late bloomer Elliott’s debut resonates like the work of one who has been recording for decades — gamely making up for lost time with adventurous takes on a stunning stack of songs.

In possession of a strong, sky-clear tenor capable of fluid tenderness, vulnerability and resilience, Elliott Farmer laces listeners through an achingly rich broad band of vivid emotional intensity.

Producer Mason continues: “Elliott is a uniquely gifted vocalist… a dynamic singer who really did his homework to give the world an impressive debut album.”

That spread of emotion within one song is palpable on standouts such as the 1930s movie ballad “If I Should Lose You,” where Elliott moves from wistful crooning to crushing wailing at the mere thought of losing a love — all with judicious taste. On Joni Mitchell’s lyricized take of Charles Mingus’ “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” the song takes on a heavier weight as sung by a Black man vocally tracing footsteps where “sidewalks were history books” in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Farmer brings a soulfulness woven into his jazz phrasing here that is heart-piercing.

Meanwhile the tender side of Elliott burns candle-bright in two tricky time-shifting arrangements of ‘70s soul-pop — the Bee Gees’ “How Deep is Your Love” and Heatwave’s dreamy Quiet Storm gemstone “The Star of a Story.”

Elliott Farmer grew up in Atlantic City in a family in which every member sang. He started in church choirs and was sparked by seeing The Jackson 5 succeed at such a young age. In his teens, he sat in with a group to sing an R&B version of The Carpenters’ “Close to You” and instantly felt the magic of connecting with live audiences.

“When it comes to songs that are my favorites, I really love it when the audience loves it as much as I do,” Elliott shares. “It becomes a shared experience and there is nothing like it.”

Fatefully, Elliott became a young father and dutifully worked jobs to provide for his family. He took vocal lessons on the side and scrutinized music on the radio — from the soul of Stevie Wonder and George Benson to the folk-pop of Paul Simon and Kenny Loggins, for whom he also picked up an acoustic guitar.

A move to Rochester, New York led to karaoke night successes followed by membership in colorful outfits: the blues band Mac & Keys; the vocal group Promise (which opened for Maria Muldaur at the Lilac Festival); several party bands; and casuals he fronted from Limoncello Italian Restaurant in East Rochester to The Argyle Grill at Eagle Vale Golf Course in Fairport.

It was during those last gigs that he realized his true musical love is jazz. And once he learned Harvey Mason was a relative, Elliott humbly instigated a relationship with him via phone calls and emails.

The turning point for Elliott came when a family member alerted him that saxophonist Azar Lawrence was looking for a singer to accompany him at acclaimed New York jazz club Smoke, where he was doing a John Coltrane tribute. Azar had just worked with Harvey Mason in Japan, so he was receptive to Elliott — who nailed his audition tape.

During that weekend of shows — with Azar on tenor, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, bassist Essiet Okon and pianist Benito Gonzales — Elliott wowed the crowds singing “My One and Only Love” and “Round Midnight.”

Elliott’s wife Tracey recorded the second night on her Blackberry and sent it to Harvey, who was impressed. Not long after, Elliott got up the nerve to ask Harvey if he would produce an album on him. He agreed — and connected Elliott with pianist-arranger Lawrence Hobgood.

“In the spring of 2018, I started traveling to Lawrence’s home in Jackson Heights to go over material and rehearse,” Elliott details. “I already had a list of songs I’d been considering — ‘One for My Baby,’ ‘Feeling Good,’ and the John Denver number ‘My Sweet Lady.’ I had also been combing the internet for songs that lent themselves to interesting interpretations. That’s how I discovered Nancy Wilson’s ‘River Shallow’ — nobody’s covered that — and Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello’s ‘This House is Empty Now,’ which I just love to sing.”

Recording took place in Manhattan with Elliott laying vocals over the trio of Hobgood, Mason and bassist Matthew Clohesy, under engineer Chris Sulit.

Observing Elliott, Hobgood muses: “In a time when the ultra-familiar is the rule of the day, that’s not what Elliott or Harvey wanted to do. It’s been wonderful watching him form his own way of thinking about these arrangements. From the broadly stylistic to the downright tactical, my arrangements have unconventional idiosyncrasies. I could see Elliott learning from everyone around him.”

Especially moving is the closer, “Take it With Me,” from the pen of Tom Waits. “That one took me to thinking about my mom passing away and my lovely wife here at home,” Elliott offers. “I had a hard time getting through that one without weeping. Harvey left a bit of that in.”

Regarding the cryptic title, Eleven-Eleven, Elliott adds: “I’ve been playing with that for the longest time. So often when I reach for my phone, the time is 11:11. I’m not superstitious… but it’s fun to think that might mean something. The 11th song is the most emotional. The month we started recording, November, is the eleventh of the year…”

Ultimately, Eleven-Eleven is a sparkling debut recording from one of the most promising new vocalists in jazz — who happens to be 60 and just finding his stride.

“When Harvey and I finally met up in a hotel lounge and talked,” Elliott concludes, “it was as if we’d known each other forever. The next day we went over to the rehearsal studio. He had never heard me sing live. Harvey had this look on his face — eyes wide with delight. He asked everyone, ‘Can you believe this guy has never been recorded before?’ That was amazing for me to hear. This was Harvey Mason — my cousin — who played with George Benson on his milestone album Breezin’. Working with him on my debut album was a dream come true.”