KIRK WHALUM CHANNELS ETHOS OF CIVIL RIGHTS AN GLOBAL HARMONY ON NEW MUSIC Humanité AVAILABLE NOW!
Grammy® Award Winner and Global Recording Artist Kirk Whalum 8th Annual Gospel According To Jazz Christmas tour is in selected markets now. Whalum will perform his biggest hits, holiday favorites, and songs from his latest album, Humanite’ The dates will feature John Stoddart and Kevin Whalum, along with this year’s special guests, vocalist Maysa and guitarist Adam Hawley.
Kirk’s new music, Humanite was produced by his longtime friend, producer, British jazz trumpeter and session musician, James McMillan. Over a period of three months in 2018, Kirk and James recorded the soul-drenched, emotional and highly melodic tracks in locations ranging from studios in Jakarta, Tokyo, Paris, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Hastings, to hotel rooms, office buildings and even Kirk’s living room in his hometown, Memphis, Tenn.
Standout tracks that showcase the album’s harmonious mix of American jazz, blues, funk and pop, along with global indigenous musical forms, abound on Humanité and include the high velocity fusion track, “Korogocho,” featuring jazz master bass player Marcus Miller in a death-defying duel with young Indonesian bass sharp-shooter Barry Likumahuwa; a silky ballad about the power of education and enlightenment, “Wake Up Everybody,” featuring Indonesian superstar, Afgan; and the uplifting, gorgeous contemporary jazz/R&B track and debut single, “Get Your Wings Up,” featuring guitarist/vocalist Andréa Lisa.
“Music is the language that communicates across borders. Music can break and enter into a person’s soul. The difference is that she is not there to take, she’s there to give, to leave something when she goes.”
Kirk Whalum
Track List:
- Move On Up, featuring Brendan Reilly (UK)
- Everybody Oughta Be Free, featuring Robyn Troop (USA)
- Don’t Get Me Wrong(I’m Grateful), featuring Mi Casa (South Africa)
- Wake Up Everybody, featuring Afgan (Indonesia)
- Wildflower, featuring Liane Carroll (UK)
- Get Your Wings Up, featuring Andréa Lisa (South Africa)
- Now I Know, featuring Zahara (South Africa)
- SJL, featuring Keiko Matsui (Japan)
- Korogocho, featuring Marcus Miller and Barry Likumahuwa (NewYork/Indonesia)
- Blow 4U (USA)
- Kwetu,featuring Ghetto Classics and Aaron Rimbui (Kenya)
- Peace, featuring Grace Sahertian (Indonesia)
- We Shall Overcome You, featuring Asa (France)
- From The East To The West, featuring Heavenese (Japan)
8TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MINI TOUR STOPS IN ATLANTA, HOUSTON, NEW YORK, NASHVILLE AND MOREDECEMBER 14-23 2019
See Kirk latest Tour Dates:
Saturday, 12/14, The Monticello, Atlanta, GA
Sunday, 12/15, Community of Faith, Houston, TX
Friday 12/20, Crosstown Theater, Memphis, TN
Sunday, 12/22, Spirit of New York, New York, NY
Monday, 12/23, City Winery, Nashville, TN
Why We’ll ‘Always Love’ Kirk Whalum
Forged from his Memphis, TN gospel roots and the thriving Houston, TX music scene in his early career, Kirk Whalum’s big, rich tenor saxophone sound is unmistakably his. It was in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” Kirk and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first No. 1 album. Kirk became an in-demand session player for top artists such as Barbra Streisand, Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Kirk soon followed that career high point with his Warner Bros. Records album, For You, one of his most successful of over 25 solo recordings to date; others include his eclectic Gospel According to Jazz series, (Chapters I, II, III, IV).Kirk is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgements for his musical excellence, including three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and Stellar Awards. A twelve-time Grammy® nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy® Award for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do” featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside life-long friend and gifted writer, Jerry Peters, who also penned the timeless “Goin’ In Circles” for the Friends of Distinction.
For the latest updates on Kirk Whalum, visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KirkWhalum
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KirkWhalum
Instagram: www.instagram.com/KirkWhalum
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/KirkWhalumLive
Ticket information: www.kirkwhalum.com