This Kirk Whalum matrix node is steps away from the entire planet by the well-known small-world ("6 degrees") phenomenon dictating that in human society you yourself are within several degrees of Kirk Whalum.
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CURATION STATUS
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Who & Where
- Name: Kirk Whalum
- City/Place: Memphis, Tennessee
- Country: United States
Life & Work
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Bio:
Soulful, passionate, stirring...these are the words most often used to describe Kirk’s music. Forged from his Memphis, (TN) gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The 80’s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming his own band. It was there that Kirk ultimately developed both his “voice” and songwriting in the crucible of the local club scene––especially at a rooftop club called Cody’s. It was also in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first #1 album. As well, Kirk and Bob received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, Joined at the Hip. After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in demand session player for top artists like, Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Kirk soon followed that career high point with his phenomenal hit album released on Warner Bros. Records, For You, perhaps the most successful of over 25 solo recordings to date; others include his eclectic, and much lauded, Gospel According to Jazz series, (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4). In addition to his many solo projects, Kirk was also a member of the popular soul/jazz group, BWB, which features Kirk as the “W” of the group with Rick Braun (trumpet) and Norman Brown (guitar).
An ordained minister, Kirk has earned a Masters of Art in Religion. It’s in this spirit that he serves his community in various ways when his touring schedule allows. There is also his daily fifteen minute podcast, Bible In Your Ear (BIYE), in which he invites you to listen along as he reads through the Bible in a year. In addition to music and ministry, Kirk has a passion to educate young, aspiring musicians and is currently engaged as a music professor at Visible Music College in his hometown of Memphis.
Kirk is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgements for his musical excellence including three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination and has won two Stellar Awards-Gospel music’s highest honor. A twelve time Grammy nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy award (2011)for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do”––featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside life-long friend and gifted songwriter, Jerry Peters.
In a career spanning decades, Kirk has a sound that is uniquely his; it is a sound that leaves an indelible imprint on the listener.
Contact Information
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Management/Booking:
Management:
Sohayla Cude
Prominent Brand + Talent
cude@prominentglobal.com
310.850.2040
Agent:
Fred Hansen
Reliant Talent Agency
Fhansen@realianttalent.com
917.701.8805
Gospel Agent:
Jody Mainello
Lone Oak Entertainment
Jodymainello@loneoakentertainment.com
615.822.9714
Media & Markets
- ▶ Buy My Music (downloads/CDs/DVDs): http://www.kirkwhalum.com/store
- ▶ Buy My Merch: http://merch.kirkwhalum.com/
- ▶ Twitter: kirkwhalum
- ▶ Instagram: kirkwhalum
- ▶ Website: http://www.kirkwhalum.com
- ▶ YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/KirkWhalumLive
- ▶ YouTube Music: http://music.youtube.com/channel/UC5UO6GlbxfYiCWwhb5FFXeg
- ▶ Vimeo Channel: http://vimeo.com/kirkwhalum
- ▶ Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/3zvG9aZygh3g14DiLEoik8
- ▶ Spotify 2: http://open.spotify.com/album/6evpmPsZzuiEp1sWPbgg75
- ▶ Spotify 3: http://open.spotify.com/album/3TrSOfTnxrJb9auo2MhiQi
- ▶ Spotify 4: http://open.spotify.com/album/1VoPTFz6iZsNaUd4OuwSDO
- ▶ Spotify 5: http://open.spotify.com/album/5Yoijx7uQnE4QhmtD2RmTf
- ▶ Spotify 6: http://open.spotify.com/album/3me0cPuyKJ2BhavA90s0V8
Clips (more may be added)
THE MATRIX WAS BUILT HERE, inspired in (the kabbalah-inspired fiction of) Borges' El Aleph, that in the pillar in Cairo's Mosque of Amr, where the universe in its entirety throughout all time is perceivable as an infinite hum from deep within the stone... The Brazilian Aleph doesn't hum...it sings!
Sprawled across broad equatorial latitudes
Stoked and steamed and sensual in the widest sense of the word
Limned in prosody and cadenced song
brəˈzɪl / from "brasa" / Latin for "ember"
w/ David Dye for U.S. National Public Radio
Given the immense untapped power of the small-world phenomenon, from Brazilians the matrix was expanded to include nodes per jazz artists, given jazz's common roots with Brazilian music (nodes based in publicly available information; some artists we informed — Bob Mintzer, Kamasi Washington, David "Fuse" Fiuczynski, Vijay Iyer, Greg Osby — and got thumbs up, others we'll get to), and moved on from there. Artists/academics/"creative people" are welcome to create their own nodes and curate (connect to other artist nodes, so that others may follow).
MUCH MORE on all of this in the window below (which, if you are logged in, will instead contain instructions on recommending), and in the window within that window (which includes a "radio" called by The Guardian one of "10 of the best music radio stations around the world"):
