Saxophonist Kirk Whalum got to revisit several phases of his career as well as add in some contemporary touches on his latest CD, Roundtrip. In addition to his signature smooth sax sounds, Whalum mixes in R&B vocals, hip-hop rhythms, and pop melodies with other jazz elements.

Whalum explained: "When we talked about this Roundtrip, we wanted not only to go back to the past and then up to the present, but kind of slide it ahead a little bit to go into the future a little bit where I really believe there'll be a lot more of that, you know. The hip-hop and spoken word, those current music genres, that they will find a natural synergy with jazz music."

Whalum is currently preparing for the live concert recording of The Gospel According To Jazz III, which will take place October 13th in Glenn Dale, Maryland. Joining him will be George Duke, Lalah Hathaway, Doc Powell, and family members Kevin Whalum, Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, Kyle Whalum, Kenneth Whalum III, and Caleb Tha Bridge. More information is available at his website, kirkwhalum.com.


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