NASHVILLE, TN — On Saturday, August 24 at 8pm, the Nashville Jazz Workshop welcomes Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum for a special concert in the Workshop’s Jazz Cave.
The roots of Kirk Whalum’s unmistakable rich tenor sound are in his Memphis soul upbringing. From there, he prospered in the Houston, TX nightclub scene before being “discovered” by jazz pianist Bob James. Along the way he was mentored by the great tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb. Kirk then went out on the road and began a recording career that only continues to get better. He has more than 25 solo recordings, including several #1 albums, and he has earned three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination and two Stellar Awards – Gospel music’s highest honor. An 11-time Grammy nominee, he won his first Grammy award for Best Gospel Song with “It’s What I Do,” co-written with Jerry Peters.
In addition to his solo career, Kirk has recorded with top artists including Barbra Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones, and most notably Whitney Houston, whose smash hit “I Will Always Love You” was fueled by Kirk’s famous sax solo.
If you’ve never seen Kirk Whalum step on stage for a straight ahead, swinging jazz performance, you are in a for a rare treat. Joining the saxophonist on this date will be longtime friends and NJW founders Lori Mechem on piano and Roger Spencer on bass, as well as the incredible Marcus Finnie on drums.
For more information on Kirk, visit kirkwhalum.com.
Admission is $50, $25 for high school and college students with ID. Tickets will go on sale Monday August 12 at 10AM and will be available online from Brown Paper Tickets, by phone 24/7 (800-838-3006), or during business hours at the NJW office (242-5299). A small convenience charge is added to online or telephone purchases.
Please note: $25 complimentary tickets cannot be used for this performance.
Policies: The Jazz Cave is a BYOB establishment, with no alcohol or food service. You are free to bring alcoholic beverages and snacks. We sell soft drinks and bottled water. The Jazz Cave is a listening room, and we ask patrons to keep conversation to a minimum and silence cell phones. Audio and video recording is prohibited. Ticket sales are final.
