A jazz saxophonist up for four Grammys on Sunday in three categories and none of them in jazz?
Kirk Whalum doesn't find that strange
at all.
In fact, after nearly 30 years in the
business, Whalum says he's finally getting a handle on who he is, and that's
reflected in his music, which has been nominated in three categories — pop,
urban and gospel.
"The older you get, you end up
getting closer to who you are," the 52-year-old said in a recent telephone
interview. "And, in my case, I find that I'm spreading out a little bit
instead of narrowing down."
Already nominated eight times in his
career, the Memphis, Tenn., native was nominated this year for best pop
instrumental album for "Everything is Everything: The Music of Donny
Hathaway"; best male R&B vocal performance for "We're Still
Friends," a collaboration on the Hathaway recording with Musiq Soulchild;
best gospel performance for "He's Been Just That Good" featuring
Lalah Hathaway; and best gospel song for "It's What I Do" with Jerry
Peters, both on Whalum's "The Gospel According to Jazz: Chapter III."
"It's all pretty doggone
cool," Whalum said when asked about his peers' recognition of his work.
Ordained as a minister 12 years ago,
Whalum said he's beginning to "own up to the fundamental aspect that I'm a
minister of the gospel who's dressed up as a musician."
"I'm not necessarily looking to
pastor a church, but I'm able to express myself spiritually in work like 'The
Gospel According to Jazz.' It's been highly acclaimed, but I didn't do it for
that. I didn't expect a large group of people to 'get' it, you know, because it
was a spiritual artistic statement," he said. "I wasn't going for the
charts or the airplay. But what happened? People 'got' it, and the acclaim came
too."
Whalum is scheduled to perform on the
Grammys pre-telecast ceremony in Los Angeles, but before that, he'll host and
perform at a free concert event honoring artists nominated for a Grammy award
in the gospel and Christian categories. Those with internet access can watch
the concert via the web at www.DreamCenterLive.com for $4.99, with proceeds
benefiting Project Hope, one of many charitable projects Whalum supports.
"They deal with human
trafficking and slavery," Whalum said. "It's mindboggling that that
kind of stuff is going on in this country."
Whalum also said he hopes to finish
seminary school this June while continuing in the role of president and chief
executive officer of the Stax Museum of Soul Music in Memphis.
"I'm really blessed to be in
this position in my life," Whalum said. "Stax is all about an amazing
staff. As for me, I have an amazing wife, who is my partner in all this, and an
amazing personal manager. My wife always says 'It takes a lot of people to be
Kirk Whalum,' and that's definitely the case."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP Photo/Mack Avenue Records, Jacob Morrow)
