Kirk Whalum - Roundtrip



Kirk Whalum

Roundtrip

It's been 23 years since the world at large got its first taste of saxophone master Kirk Whalum. It all began when the legendary Bob James proudly introduced Whalum on his famed album, 12 (1984). Over the course of three decades and 17 albums that encompass a singular blend of jazz, gospel, pop and rhythm and blues, the Memphis-born horn man has garnered 7 GRAMMY® nominations. He has attained numerous #1-charting projects and the gospel world’s esteemed 2006 Stellar Award for the second volume in his ongoing series The Gospel According to Jazz. He has also contributed unforgettable solos to works by a sprawling list of artists, most notably “Anyone Who Had a Heart” by the late, great Luther Vandross, and the Bodyguard soundtrack anthem “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (with whom he was also featured on a world tour).

Now, at the opportune juncture of 2007 - after moving from Memphis to Houston to Pasadena to Paris to Nashville and back to Memphis again – Whalum is taking a unique look back through the serendipitous contours of his career. Thus, the title of his new CD, Roundtrip. The album is a progressive retrospective, looking at the past with an eye toward the future. Roundtrip includes re-imaginings of some of his biggest radio hits (including the first single, a modern reworking of “The Wave”), new and/or previously unrecorded compositions that chart the evolution of his heart-warming style (including “Big Ol’ Shoes,” a tribute to one of his heroes, Grover Washington Jr.), and a pair of especially fresh pieces that meld Contemporary Jazz with spoken word (“In a Whisper,” featuring actress/poetess Kim Fields) and hip hop (“Back in the Day,” with music based on the intro of Gerald Albright’s “We Got the Groove” and humorous lyrics penned and performed by Kirk’s young cousin who goes by the name of Caleb Tha Bridge).

To help him bring this concept to life, Kirk called in three producers, all distinguished musicians with albums of their own:

Philippe Saisse, the Parisian keyboardist extraordinaire who produced Kirk’s Cache’ and Colors CD’s, as well as albums by Gato Barbieri, David Sanborn and the new RnR collaboration between Rick Braun and Richard Elliott.

Rex Rideout, who produced Kirk’s recent #1 smash “Give Me the Reason” from the tribute CD Forever, For Always, For Luther Volume II. Rideout’s credits also include Luther Vandross, The Temptations and Boney James.

James McMillan, producer for American Idol’s Kelly Clarkson, Tamyra Gray and Ruben Studdard), whom Kirk first met when both were touring with the duo Everything But The Girl.

Roundtrip also features special guest vocalist Shanice, guitarists Earl Klugh and Jeff Golub, and saxophonist Gerald Albright.

Kirk explains the concept behind Roundtrip: "Ever since my album of covers For You (1998) became the best seller of my career, I came to the realization that people love it when you interpret melodies they know and love. So, I decided to alternate between records of covers and originals. After For You I did the mostly original Unconditional, followed by The Babyface Songbook. For my new CD, I thought, 'Why not cover myself?' So I went back to the beginning."

That beginning would be the mid-`70s, when ‘big oil’ was booming in Texas. By day, Kirk attended Texas Southern University. By night, Houston’s bandstands became workshops for a hungry young sax man exploring straight ahead jazz, blues, and funk. This was the backdrop for Kirk’s first compositions. Among those was "Courtney," a sunny bounce with a heart-beat bump dedicated to his first daughter. 28 years later, it is making its first appearance on a record. "Courtney gave me my now 6 year-old grandson and she graduated college this year,” Kirk shares with pride. “I thought it would be nice for this song come out now to celebrate."

Whalum also revamps "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby" a song inspired by the love of his life, his wife of 27 years. "I remember writing that song in our little apartment on a Wurlitzer piano when we were both still in college," Kirk reflects. "We have an empty nest now, but after all these years, it's nice to think I wrote this song for my girlfriend, who is now my wife and the mother of my children."

The first new piece is "Big Ol' Shoes," a collaboration between Kirk and producer/keyboardist Rex Rideout. It is not surprising that the first song they wrote together was a tribute to soul-jazz saxophone pioneer Grover Washington Jr. Both have previously contributed to Grover tributes, Kirk with "Groverworked and Underpaid," which he wrote for Unconditional, and Rex with "Grover's Groove" from the late saxophonist George Howard's CD, A Home Far Away (1994). "I have so many memories of Grover, Kirk shares, "but one of my favorites was at a convention in Vancouver. Grover grabbed me to go downstairs and sit-in with the piano player in the lobby bar. He was so selfless...a role model I will never forget."

Kirk reached out to soul-pop singer Shanice for the inspired vocal piece "Inside." Kirk thought of her for this song because of a magic moment she shared with another saxophonist. "I appreciated her for having Branford Marsalis guest on the single and video of her hit 'I Love Your Smile' (Motown, 1991). It's important to always be bridging the gap between younger and older listeners. And with her angelic voice, I knew she'd be perfect for this song. The chorus says, 'Don't try too hard now / Be who you are now / You've got to let it shine / Beauty has no face / No color, no race, child / Beauty is inside."

Equally lovely are the sentiments of "In a Whisper," penned and delivered with such delicious diction by poetess/actress Kim Fields, who sitcom fans will remember from her roles in "Facts of Life" (as “Tootie,” a cute kid) and "Living Single" (as “Regine,” an alluring adult). Ms. Fields conjures the spiritual spell of romance over the cool jazz trance of "In a Whisper." "When I first heard Kim at an event in Leimert Park,” Kirk remembers, “she blew me away."

The title track, "Roundtrip," gave Kirk an overdue opportunity to make a statement about music as it relates to the Whalum family through the ages. It features Kirk on tenor and soprano sax, his brother Kevin Whalum and his uncle and Rendezvous label mate Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum on vocals, his son Kyle Whalum on bass, and his nephew Kenneth Whalum III also on tenor. "I shied away from this for years because I thought it might be perceived as hokey," Kirk confesses, "but music truly does run in the Whalum family. My grandfather on my father's side was a great singer and orator. And my grandmother was a great musician. She taught Hank Crawford voice and piano! Not to mention, my mother’s mother was a great gospel singer. At this point, I can't pass millions of dollars down to my kids, but I can pass along the opportunity to participate in the major leagues of music."

The album comes full circle with the serene closer “Afterthought,” a new version of Kirk's breakthrough hit, first recorded on his debut LP, Floppy Disk (1985). The song became and remains the theme for Art Good’s legendary syndicated “JazzTrax” radio show.

Kirk Whalum continues to stay busy recording and touring as a solo and featured guest artist. In 2007 alone, Kirk has already graced albums by Jeff Lorber, Brian Bromberg, Norman Brown and labelmate Wayman Tisdale. He was a standout performer on the inaugural North Sea Jazz Cruise, further endearing himself to all present by hosting a special Sunday morning gospel hour, performing solo shows, and sitting in with cruise host Marcus Miller.

Whalum will continue to tour throughout the year for Roundtrip. He will also be featured on the all-star tour “Guitars & Saxes,” alongside Gerald Albright, Tim Bowman, and his frequent collaborator Jeff Golub, on whose latest album, Grand Central, Kirk guests. In January, Kirk will set sail again, this time on The Smooth Jazz Cruise Hosted By Wayman Tisdale.

Whalum is also preparing another installment to his Gospel According to Jazz series. And, finally, the man who began his collegiate music studies as a composition major just wrapped up his first film score for a new documentary titled Miss HIV.

So, unlike typical roundtrips, Kirk Whalum’s humbling artistic journey has many more miles and memories to come.

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