Available 02/14/12
Having been a card carrying member of the pseudo-intellectual jazz elite, an eyebrow was understandably raised upon hearing contemporary saxophone giant Kirk Whalum along with his brother acclaimed vocalist Kevin Whalum would be putting their own spin on a collection of duets recorded by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman from 1963. There are some things that you do not do and there are certain segments of jazz literature that should be left alone or so I thought.
The incredible versatility of Kirk Whalum is without question. Whalum's most recent work has included walking away with a 2011 Grammy for a duet with the incomparable Lalah Hathaway that appears on his Gospel According to Jazz: Chapter III. Having never heard Kevin Whalum there was some concern for his approach to the timeless vocals of Johnny Hartman.Upon hearing Kevin Whalum there is not one shred of doubt that Whalum is the perfect vocalist for this project. An incredibly underrated talent that takes on the role of Johnny Hartman with a seasoned elegance, grace and style that makes what I like to refer to as old school become new cool in the hands of such a gifted vocalist. Whalum's voice is as warm and inviting as an evening by the fireside and is the perfect companion to Kirk Whalum's rich solos that while lyrically driven never reach that self indulgent trip wire that could spell disaster for a saxophonist of lesser experience.
Opening with a stunning version of "They Say It's Wonderful" there is little doubt of the obvious romantic theme of the recording. Romance Language is far more than a contemporary jazz love letter from days gone by but rather a dramatic musical statement of the possibilities of dynamic creative expression when the right tunes, the right arrangements and the right musicians all come together as one. "My One And Only Love" with the added texture of the acoustic guitar helps fuse that more traditional with the more contemporary in a gorgeous display of musical cohesion where genres and styles and labels are all forgotten. The only focus with Romance Language is the melodic language of love and the inspiring effect and possibilities that it brings forth whether you are sharing this release with that special someone or just marveling at the amazing artistry on display. The 83-years-young uncle, Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum adds the unique and soulful qualities of his voice to the contemporary tune from Brandy "Almost Doesn't Count." There are four contemporary tunes specially chosen for this release written by Terry Lewis & "Jimmy Jam" Harris, Eric Benet and Joe Thomas. The addition of these four special tracks work perfectly and were it not for a prior knowledge of the original 1963 recording one would be hard pressed to pick out the tunes not from the original release.
Recorded virtually live in the studio adds to the warm rich quality of a timeless recording. Pushing aside the commercial aspect of releasing a recording such as this on Valentines Day, Kirk Whalum is also releasing an incredibly important musical statement that the contemporary and the traditional can join forces to create a new and incredibly relevant voice in modern jazz. Romance Language works on every possible level due to perfect balance. Kirk Whalum has raised the bar for other contemporary artists to follow instead of trying to limbo under the bar as is. Contemporary jazz is expanding and with efforts such as Romance Language, the previous separate but equal treatment of two jazz genres will slowly transform into one unified voice of expression.
A flawless recording celebrating the old and the new, Romance Language is a release that will be talked about for years to come.
5 stars!
Tracks: They Say It's Wonderful; Dedicated To You; My One And Only Love; Lush Life; You Are Too Beautiful; Autumn Serenade; Almost Doesn't Count; I Wish I Wasn't; I Wanna Know; Spend My Life With You.
Personnel: Kirk Whalum: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Kevin Whalum: lead vocals; Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum: lead vocals (7); Marcus Finnie: drums; Braylon Lacy: bass; Kevin Turner: electric guitar; Michael "Nomad" Ripoll: acoustic guitar; Ralph Lofton: organ; John Stoddart: piano, keyboards, organ (10), backing vocals (9); Bashiri Johnson: percussion (1,5,7,8,10); Javier Solis: percussion ( 2,3,6,9); George Tidwell: flugelhorn & trumpet.
