Needless to say, concert-goers have dissimilar tastes in venues. Some (read teenage to young adult rock die-hard-rollers) go for the overwhelming intensity of arena style stadiums like The Forum or Staples Center, while others opt for the warmth of smaller, cozier settings. The Clive Davis Theater at downtown’s GRAMMY® Museum is an intimate, state-of-the-art, 200-seat theater that suited the largely middle-aged attendees for Kirk Whalum’s presentation of his latest album “Humanité: The Beloved Community” last week.
The evening started off with a conversation between the veteran reedman and GRAMMY® Museum Artistic Director, Scott Goldman. Whalum chronicled his trek from humble beginnings in Memphis, Tenn., a city on the musical thoroughfare of the Mississippi River. Soaked in his hometown’s traditions of blues, gospel, and jazz, the minister’s son was just nine years old when the Rev. Martin Luther King was stuck down by an assassin’s bullet a mere 14 blocks from his family home.
This traumatic, potentially disillusioning event, has instead inspired Whalum, with it’s (in his words) “…spiritual implications” permeating his musical output ever since.
Along the way, his saxophone has enhanced the musical repertoire of Barbra Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones and especially the late Whitney Houston. His accolades include multiple GRAMMY® nominations, and a GRAMMY® award in 2011 for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do”), featuring the vocal styling of singer Lalah Hathaway.
The conversation segued into clips from his recent documentary showcasing his latest musical offering, “Humanité.” Truly an international effort, it was compiled from recordings done all over the world, featuring (among others) Japanese pianist Keiko Matsui, bassists Barry Likumahuwa (from Indonesia) Marcus Miller, and South African singer Zahara.
These documented performances in Africa, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Untied States, enhance Whalum’s notion that there is only one “race,” that is the human race.
The evening progressed with a live performance by Whalum and his trusty tenor sax, accompanied by guitarist Andréa Lisa who does double duty as a singer. The evening performance also featured a spontaneous appearance by surprise guest singer Chantae Cann, who enchanted the crowd with her wordless scat-derived vocal improvisations.
“Humanité: The Beloved Community,” is available on amazom.com and musical online retail outlets as well as the official website https://www.kirkwhalum.com/, while the documentary may be accessed there and on YouTube.
