Saxophonist
Kirk Whalum (pictured) will perform a "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 1 at
Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5515 Doctor Martin Luther King Dr.
Whalum, a popular smooth jazz and R&B performer and the nephew of St. Louis pianist, saxophonist and singer Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, first launched the "Gospel According to Jazz" concept in 2002 with an album of the same name. His 2010 release
The Gospel According to Jazz Chapter III included the Grammy Award winning song "It's What I Do," written with pianist Jerry Peters and sung on the album by Lalah Hathaway (daughter of pianist, singer and former St. Louisan Donny Hathaway).
For the "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" concert, Whalum will be joined here by pianist
Keiko Matsui and singer
Amber Bullock, the St. Louisan who recently won BET's
Sunday Best Gospel reality show competition, as well as singers
John Stoddart and
Kevin Whalum and the FTMBC's own choir.
The show's St. Louis date is part of a weekend mini-tour that includes a performance in Whalum's hometown of Memphis on Friday, and one in Nashville on Sunday.
General admission tickets for Kirk Whalum's "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" concert are $22 and are on sale now at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church; by phone at 314-267-9700; or online at
http://www.kirkwhalum.com/.
