Smooth jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum has 16 CDs and seven Grammy nominations to his credit, but that's not what inspires him. Whalum, who is active in his church, told an AP reporter that a higher power drives him, saying, "When I'm at my best, completely out of the way, God is able to reach into people's souls by using me as an instrument. As I'm holding that instrument, I feel like God's holding me as His instrument."

 Although Whalum has recorded gospel-tinged projects, including 1998's The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter 1, he doesn't like the gospel label: "I'm not a gospel artist. I'm a person of faith who happens to be a musician."

Whalum's current single, Give Me The Reason, is at Number Two on the Smooth Jazz Chart.

Visit Kirk's website at:  www.kirkwhalum.com