Kirk Whalum

Buy Tickets

Connect with the Artist:

Share this!

For nearly four decades, Grammy® Award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum
has helped to define “cool,” whether blazing trails in contemporary jazz or
infusing hits by Luther Vandross or Whitney Houston with an extra jolt of soul.
Few have ascended to such heights in the jazz or R&B worlds, but Whalum is not
one to simply relax and enjoy his lofty perch. On his latest album, Epic Cool, he
raises the bar once again, scaling up the hipness, vitality, soulfulness and vibes
to a monumental new level.
“I’m still on this path trying to do something important,” Whalum insists. “At 65, I
still feel very young. I feel like I have a mandate to be the very best version of
myself and to push down some more doors.”
That life encompasses more than 25 albums under Whalum’s own name,
including a Grammy-nominated collaboration with pianist Bob James; his
faith-and-soul melding Gospel According to Jazz series; and a trio of albums with
the supergroup BWB, alongside guitarist Norman Brown and trumpeter Rick
Braun. That’s in addition to his work alongside everyone from the late Joey
DeFrancesco to such legends as Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau,
and Larry Carlton.
To achieve that goal Whalum partnered with Swiss-Nigerian producer/songwriter
Greg Manning, whom he first encountered as a keyboardist with guitarist
Jonathan Butler. “He’s European and yet he has an African soul,” Whalum says.
“I wanted him to bring his classical training together with his understanding of
traditional jazz for this project. Plus, he’s an incredible melody-smith.”
That’s evident from the outset of Epic Cool with the instantly memorable hook
Manning composed for opening track “Bah-De-Yah!” As the chanted title
suggests, there’s a thrilling dose of Earth, Wind & Fire funk gracing the track,
which spurs Whalum to some of his most melodic soloing.
That voice was what attracted Vandross so strongly to Whalum’s playing, despite
the fact that the singer once admitted that he didn’t particularly care for the
saxophone. “I said, ‘Man, that’s cold,’” Whalum recalls with a laugh. “But then
Luther said, ‘But I like you because you play like a singer.’ And he went further –
he said, ‘You play like I sing.’ Greg was all about highlighting that gift and giving
people a melody that they can wrap their hearts around.”

Manning also instigated the finger-snapping sultriness of “Pillow Talk” and the
soaring ballad “Through the Storm,” representing the full spectrum of romance
from intimate moments to life-altering challenges. The inspiring “Through the
Storm” becomes an ode to Ruby, Whalum’s wife of more than 40 years, and the
hardships they’ve overcome together. Manning receives solo credit for “You &
Sunday Morning,” which is both spiritual and soulful in keeping with Whalum’s
dedication to faith and family on that traditional day off.
“Crusaderation” pays tribute to one of Whalum’s key influences, the Jazz
Crusaders, whose storied history came to an end roughly a decade ago with the
passing of Joe Sample, Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder. Their importance
to Whalum is reflected in the very special line-up for the track – the rare
convergence of the saxophonist’s musical family, including son Kyle on bass and
nephews Kameron on trombone and Kenneth III on tenor. All three bring a solid
foundation from the pop world – Kameron tours with Bruno Mars and Anderson
.Paak, Kenneth is a successful solo artist who has worked with Beyoncé and
Kanye West, and Kyle plays in the house bands for The Voice and The Kelly
Clarkson Show.
“The Crusaders changed the game,” Whalum posits. “My family really knew how
to capture the essence of those guys and that sound with that song.”
The tender “Kori” is dedicated to Whalum’s daughter, lovingly depicting the
special relationship between father and daughter even as the latter brings up
children of her own. “Love & Healing” and “MF” go out to the members of
Whalum’s other family, his stellar band. One meaning of the latter is obvious, but
it’s also the initials of Whalum’s longtime drummer, Marcus Finnie. That both
meanings are apt becomes obvious on the tune’s sharp, funky groove. “Love &
Healing” is written by and features the vocals of singer/guitarist Andréa Lisa, who
first joined Whalum as one of the guests on the saxophonist’s globe-spanning
2019 album Humanité. The South African-born, New Zealand-raised talent has
since relocated to the States and become a core part of Whalum’s working band.
Introduced by a snippet of dialogue à la Française, Whalum’s “Film Noir” tips its
fedora to both his cinematic tastes and his transformative two-year tenure living
in Paris. Both the title track and bassist Andrew Ford’s “Well Alright” are sheer
celebration. “Epic Cool” is unique in headlining Whalum’s agility on the hefty
baritone sax, which delves deep while moving with a graceful swagger. “Well
Alright” is centered on a singalong chorus that echoes the interactive,
crowd-friendly songs of Donny Hathaway or Cannonball Adderley and Joe
Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.”
The spectrum of emotions and invigorating grooves can only be achieved with a
65-year trove of experience and passion. Whalum brings those elements to every
song on this album, whether exploring love or faith, journeys or struggles, family
or life on the road. All shine through Whalum’s stellar soul – on an epic level.

View All Shows