Kirk Whalum News

Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians, will take the stage at Irvine Barclay Theatre on February 6 as part of the venue's new speaker series, Fresh Take. Kwan, along with Tony-winning Ain't Misbehavin', Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval and others, highlight the variety of spring performances at Irvine Barclay Theatre. See below for some notable shows through May, and here is a link to the entire season: https://mailchi.mp/thebarclay/announcing-irvine-barclay-theatres-2019-20-season).

Following several successful runs since its debut in 2014, GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Celebrating The Music of Ray Charles, is returning, visiting 26 cities across the US in February and March. The show features an all-star cast including Emmy Award Winning singer-songwriter Clint Holmes, 10-time GRAMMY Award Winners and Gospel Music Hall of Famers Take 6, 6-time GRAMMY nominated vocalist Nnenna Freelon and GRAMMY Award-winning saxophonists Tom Scott (for the first two shows only) and Kirk Whalum. This dynamic ensemble will perform iconic tunes from the catalogue of the American treasure Ray Charles including “Hit the Road Jack”, “What'd I Say”, and of course, “Georgia on my Mind.”

Billboard charting, six-time Global Music Award Medalist and internationally acclaimed jazz and Americana singer/songwriter/pianist Katherine 'KOOL KAT' Farnham will perform with her longtime band at the Steinway Gallery in Nashville on Friday, January 24, 2020. The concert will feature originals from her new project as well as beloved favorites.

Embarking on a fresh new chapter in her life musically, emotionally and spiritually, Carol Albert builds upon the inspiring career-shifting momentum of her recent Billboard Top Ten chart successes with her perfectly titled new full-length album Stronger Now. Featuring all original songs written and arranged by the prolific composer and pianist, the stylistically eclectic, 10 track collection - follow up to her 2017 breakthrough album Fly Away Butterfly – is set for release on Cahara Records January 31, 2020. Stronger Now includes two tracks previously released as singles that lit up terrestrial, internet and satellite stations. The Atlanta based artist scored her biggest success to date early in 2019 with the Brazilian flavored “Femme Flight,” which hit #4 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart. Produced by Carol, mixed by two-time Grammy winning hitmaker Paul Brown and featuring flutist Ragan Whiteside and saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova, the track also earned Albert a new legion of fans via airplay on SiriusXM's Watercolors. Also featured on Stronger Now is Carol's latest single “Sun's Out,” a Latin tinged track produced and mixed by Brown that is currently in the Top Ten on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart as well as MediaBase, Smooth Jazz Top 20 at #5, Radiowave at #3 and GrooveJazz Chart at #2. Her earlier chart hits include “Chasing Waterfalls” (which reached #15), “Fly Away Butterfly” (#5) and “One Way.”

Internationally acclaimed vocalist Nicole Henry returns to Miami Beach's Colony Theatre for her seventh annual winter concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 14.

Rick Braun is a musician, record producer and father of Emma, his 19-year-old daughter with autism. Braun's signature events raise funds for a variety of autism related causes through his immense fan base. This year's recipient, Meristem, holds a special place for the Brauns; Emma is a student at Meristem, a school for young adults on the autism spectrum.

Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) and Texas Southern University (TSU) announce the members of the inaugural MJF @ Houston All-Star Ensemble.

The Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to announce a new partnership with Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, Texas, one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black colleges and universities in the nation. The partnership with TSU will broaden the reach of the Monterey Jazz Festival's education programs to many more young people, while leveraging TSU's commitment and legacy of jazz excellence.

Georgia on My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles comes to Jacksonville's Times-Union Center for one performance only on March 9, 2020. The show features Emmy Award Winner Clint Holmes, 10-time Grammy and Award Winner and Gospel Music Hall of Famers Take 6, Award-winning vocalist Nnenna Freelon, Stellar and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum Gospel Choir and more!

Jonathan Butler and Kirk Whalum return to the Madison Theatre for a soulful night of music! Jonathan Butler's genre-busting material earned songriter's awards and received abundant airplay in multiple radio formats.

Multiple Grammy award nominee Linda 'Peaches' Tavani reminds us of hope and love while showcasing her signature sultry voice in her new single 'How Many Times.' Penned by the songstress, the song has a classic soulful R&B sound and features saxophone phenom Kirk Whalum.

It's official! Cape Town-born musician, Jonathan Rubain, is set to dazzle The Mother City musical audiences with his latest musical spectacular, Pinkster in GrandWest, at Grand Arena at GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World - for the very first time in his musical career.

For the 4th consecutive season, Blue Note Jazz Clubs and Blue Note Records are collaborating with Entertainment Cruise Productions to bring many of the world's most renowned contemporary jazz musicians together for Blue Note at Sea 2020, a weeklong luxury cruise that sails through the Caribbean from January 25 through February 1, 2020.

The nominees for the 50th NAACP Image Awards were exclusively announced today at the Television Critics Association's (TCA) TV One's joint press conference with Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP and Alfred Liggins, Chairman and CEO of TV One. The winners will be revealed during the Two-Hour LIVE TV special airing on TV One on Saturday, March 30, 2019.

The McCallum Theatre and Jim "FITZ" Fitzgerald co-present Keiko Matsui on Saturday, February 23, at 8:00pm as part of the Fitz's Jazz Cafe at the McCallum series. A producer, contemporary jazz pianist and composer, Keiko Matsui's career spans three decades, over twenty CDs, and numerous continents receiving international acclaim. Her music transcends geographic, generational, and musical boundaries and her unique melting pot of musical influences have garnered her a devout international following. 'Music has no borders and it creates a oneness among people,' confides Matsui. 'There have been many occasions when I have felt like music saved me. There is a connection between my fans and I, and together in my music we are sharing harmony.'

Isaac Edwards finally reached a point in his life when he decided that he simply had to overcome past regrets in order pursue his dream. A newly married lawyer who litigated hundreds of cases by day during the four years he spent his nights and weekends writing, producing and recording his new album, the saxophonist will take a major step towards realizing his dream when “Begin Again” drops on February 22 on the Songs In My Pocket Music label. The disc mixed by hit saxman Darren Rahn will be preceded by the radio single, “Christina Christina,” an exotic Latin-singed seduction that goes for radio adds on January 14. 

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture has announced its 2019 winter/spring season, a rich program of theater, film, music, poetry, art, and talk events featuring artists and thought leaders including Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter;Tony Award winner Lena Hall; Grammy Award-winning musician and recording artist Eileen Ivers; Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nomineeAlexander Gemignani;and journalist and former Wall Street Journal columnist Sohrab Ahmari.

From family-friendly performances to chart-topping tours, the holiday season is looking merry and bright with a festive event schedule at historic Bojangles' Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium this year.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica presents Amy Keys, on Friday, December 7 at 8:00pm. Amy Keys is the fourth evening of blackbox @ the edye, which transforms The Edye into a club featuring up-and-coming jazz and blues artists.  The series is curated and hosted by The Reverend Shawn Amos; he and his house band perform at select shows during the season as well.   

Ovens Auditorium will host  Kirk Whalum's 7th Annual Chrismas Tour A Gospel According to Jazz Christmas on Friday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com by phone at 800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster outlets or at the Bojangles' Coliseum Box Office located at 2700 E. Independence Blvd. Tickets range from $41 to $72 (plus applicable service charges) and are subject to change