Midatlantic Jazz Festival

Kirk Whalum performs at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

KIRK WHALUM
Album review: "Everything Is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway"

A very good year for Kirk Whalum just got better. On Sunday the tenor saxophonist won a Grammy in the gospel song category for co-writing "It's What I Do," a tune he recorded with Lalah Hathaway. And Whalum's most recent CD, "Everything Is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway," a tribute to Lalah's father, easily ranks among his best.

Of course, Donny Hathaway's engaging tunes and interpretations have a lot to do with the album's appeal, and they clearly inspire Whalum's melodic phrasing. But what sets the album apart from your typical smooth-jazz session is a strong core band that boasts a lot of Philly-bred talent and expansive arrangements by Gil Goldstein and John Stoddart. As a result, Whalum gets a chance to colorfully celebrate Hathaway's pop legacy while collaborating with several notable artists.

Not surprisingly, Lalah Hathaway's soft yet soulful vocal on "You Had to Know" is among the highlights, but what follows is even better: the sharply syncopated "Tryin' Times," a rousing Southern gospel-meets-blues showcase for Whalum and pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph. "We're Still Friends," another standout, is subdued by comparison, though singer Musiq Soulchild delivers a strong performance. Like Whalum and several of his guests, he's quick to reveal his R&B roots and underscore Donny Hathaway's lasting influence.

- Mike Joyce, Feb. 2011