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Kirk Whalum Plays Babyface
Kirk Whalum has been wowing jazz lovers for a remarkable 20 years. His first album, "Floppy Disk," was released
on Columbia in 1985. He lasted four more albums and 10 years with Columbia before segueing to Warner Bros., where he stayed
right up to "Into My Soul" in 2003. His latest release on Rendezvous Entertainment couples him with one of the most
prolific songwriters of our time: Babyface. In addition to Babyface himself singing on one of the tracks, "I Said I Love
You," Whalum is joined by a stellar stack of talents on "Kirk Whalum Performs The Babyface Songbook," including
Norman Brown, Rick Braun, Dave Koz and Christian McBride.
Whalum is certainly adept at re-inventing himself, be it for a smooth jazz jam or an all-out improvisational set. This
latest foray allows the sax man to stretch out on a variety of ways, sometimes almost cooing through his horn on tracks like
the "Shoop Shoop" song, sometimes singing without words on curvaceous cuts such as "Can We Talk."
While Whalum may not be a huge hip hop fan, he still has some interesting things to say about the current music scene
and how jazz and hip hop have common ground.
Star - What prompted you to do an LP of Babyface songs?
KW - There were a lot of reasons. I identified a plan of attack for my own career having kind of settled into who I am.
For me, that is really as an interpreter of melody. As much as I may think of myself as a writer, arranger and producer, I
think the gift that makes people happy is me playing melody. It's not a bad thing. I came to grips with that, so my plan has
been to do alternating projects. I did a project called "Unconditional," which was me writing and producing, and
then I did one called "For You," on which I interpreted other people's music. Then I went back to "Into My
Soul," which was me, a Memphis musician playing and writing all original songs from
the ground up. Now I'm alternating back doing a CD totally for the listeners, doing songs they love already. Jazz musicians
play for each other. I play for the people. The Babyface part of it is that I am a huge fan of his. He well deserves being
classified as a pop icon... he's more like the great American songwriter. We're also the same age and we have some other similarities
that other people have noticed.
Star - Any favorite tracks?
KW - My all time favorite Babyface song is "I Said I Love You." We went into the studio with a vengeance, with
a very focused agenda, to go in and make a sophisticated version of this man's music. I don't think many people realize how
many hit songs he was a part of. He's the Cole Porter of our time. He has a knack for getting to the point and pushing people's
buttons.
Star - What do you think is your target demo?
KW - I don't normally think in those terms. I'd say it's those folks who love my music. There's a sophistication and depth
to my
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music and people are looking for that.
Star - Kirk, you have been at it for 20 years now... and on major labels for the most part. What do you think has been
the key to your longevity?
KW - I seriously pinch myself. I do think about that. There are so many who do what I do and there are so many people
that would like to do what I do. I love what I do. I think the fact that I was born to do what I do and I love to do it...
it's like a freight train and it can't be stopped. God put me here to do this and I take it very serious. It's almost mystical.
Again, I love what I do and there are people that want it.
Star - Talk about the next generation of jazz artists? Well, actually the question may be... where the heck are they?
Are you concerned there is not that much of a young set behind you?
KW - I'm actually inspired by rappers. And I see a very strong indicator in this effort that we are going to see things
come together and identify with each other. There is a jazz of this generation. Look at Ken Burns' jazz series and make a
comparison to Miles Davis and what he was dealing with and you can see the parallels. I think if anything the thing that worries
me is the smooth jazz movement. I have a picture of a 13-year-old saxophone player. She can play the smooth jazz repertoire.
There is a serious need of depth. It's OK... this is a personal analysis. There is a need for an Al Green... I want to hear
somebody who means it. That is what makes Nora Jones attractive. She is committed to her songs and listeners feel that.
Star - Hey, in addition to your jazz offerings, you have done a Gospel set, a Christmas CD, now this tribute to Babyface.
What else can we expect from you? Are you going to start rapping or what?!?!
KW - (laugh). I'd love to collaborate with some of these guys. I don't want to live in the suburbs. We won't to move back
into the inner city. I want to make art that is relevant to the current culture.
Speaking of parallels, there was a life style to jazz as there is to hip hop. The dress, the lingo... it was the same
thing back in the day with jazz.
Star - On the Babyface Songbook CD you worked with Dave Koz, Rick Braun and that lady with the amazing Latin-tinged vocals
of Gabriela Anders. Oh, and Babyface himself is on one of the tracks. Looking back, who has been one of your favorite people
to work with?
KW - Whitney Houston. I still treasure those years. I was on the road with her for seven years. She treated us very well.
She is a very giving person. Another thing was the amazing experience of being on the stage with a thorobred, someone who
was born and bred to be on stage. We went in on this record to make a record together... in that sense it's a jazz record.
We were all in the same room at the same time and listening to each other and there is an emotional exchange and the nuances
that occur... there's nothing like that, especially with great musicians. There was not much clutter. In fact, radio has had
a bit of an issue that there was not a lot of the glitter... there's no bells and whistles. It's pure music.
Star - Who's in your CD player? Who are you listening to these days?
KW - Sergio Mendes. Rufus & Chaka Khan. Billie Holiday. Amerie. Soweto Kinch. I have an iPod with thousand of songs,
too.
Thanks KW! Looking forward to 20 more years of your great music!
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