Customer Reviews

Babyface Songbook

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't believe it took my this long to chime in on Kirk's latest project. If you stumble into this project, brief history. Kirk is a huge fan of BabyFace. Kirk's appreciation for every tune is apparent in the treatment he gives to each tune. It is not just a bunch of sloppy covers of popular Face tunes.

Kirk delivers original performances of tunes made popular by Face and others who performed his tunes. Personal favorites are Exhale, I'll Make Love To You, Breathe Again.

It may say as much that BabyFace thought enough of this CD that he even contributed his voice on a tune or two. Check it out!!!!

Kirk Whalum on another highlight of his career. This is smooth jazz not jazz. Sure. Most of the listeners will know the difference. But noone will doubt Kirk Whalum is one of the greatest contemporary sax players. Comparism to Grover Whashington Jr. is allowed. Kirk's life concerts are spritual and legendary.

For anyone who likes good jazz, this is an excellent songbook of Baby Face's music. Good fluent sound and very romantic. This artist is very spiritual and it certainly comes across in his music. Great to have in your cd collection.

Even though I am an long-time Kirk Whalum fan, in this CD, he has out done even himself. This is undoubtly one of the best CDs out today, and one of his best. The smooth style of the way he handles Babyface's music makes you want to listen to it over and over. We all know how rare it is that every cut on a CD is good, well, this is one of those rare ones. I liked it so much, that I went back and bought three of his old ones.

there was a time when Babyface was the Hottest Songwriter&producer in Popular Music which seems so long ago now,but there was a time when you couldn't avoid a Babyface song here&there being played. anyway within the Smooth Jazz format Kirk Whalum does a pretty good on babyface's songs.these are some of his biggest hits.Face peaked between 87-97.Babyface shows up here on this tribute set.i still like the Whispers Tribute Album to Babyface a bit more,but this one is pretty good.I've got albums over the years where Kirk Whalum has played on things.

There is a reason Kirk received a music scholarship to Texas Southern University, "back in the day." Kirk has learned his craft well, and ALL of his albums showcase his amazing talent. This CD is no exceptional. Kirk is brilliant on each track and pays supreme homage to the songs of Babyface. Quite simply a wonderful CD, from a wonderful performer. Thanks Kirk.....again!

This album highlights Kirk's ability to play soulfully without his music losing its substance. He's really mastered making his horn sing for him. If you are a fan of Babyface, you'll find that this album definitely does his music justice.

As far as being "real jazz," I think you could compare any musician of any genre to (insert deified music idol) and find that their albums pale in comparison. Sure Dave Sanborn's CDs aren't up to speed when compared to Charlie Parker's if you look at them from a strictly technical standpoint, but so what? That is so far from the point. Check the liner notes. Kirk and company didn't set out to make the next "A Love Supreme" or "Kind of Blue." The intent of this recording was to capture Babyface's music. If it were played in the style of Trane etc, it would be a turn off to the bulk of Kirk's audience.

If you're looking for a hard-charging, bebop reinvented, harmonically intense/challenging album, this one isn't for you. If, however, you are looking for some nice grooving takes on familiar songs, you need this one.

This is textbook Kirk Whalum, and one of my favorite albums of his. There is NOTHING wrong with not being Trane!

Dave

This was by far the best jazz album I have heard this year.When you listen to the music you feel as though Baby face wrote the music just for Kirk to play.All of the tunes are done with five star quality.The stand out is "I Said I Love You"Very tastefully done Album Jacket

Bottom-Line: Sensual, sexy, romantic sax playing as only Kirk Whalum could deliver it.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmunds was the slow ballad throughout "80's and well into the `90's. His soulful poetic songs could be heard across a wide range of genre and the man has left his mark on American music for decades to come.

Kirk Whalum is known for his sensual, sexy style (one might say spiritual) of (soprano & tenor) saxophone play, so it would seem natural that he would take on the challenge of interpreting the best known of Edmunds work with his sax. The result is the phenomenal 2005 release "Kirk Whalum Performs The Babyface Songbook," a collection of 12 of Babyface's most endearing hits, including Exhale (Shoop, Shoop), Can We Talk, I'll Make Love to You, and Whip Appeal.

The CD opens with the universally recognized Exhale--the Shoop, Shoop song--from the soundtrack for Waiting to Exhale (1995). While Whalum is faithful to the Babyface original, like all of his work he puts his own romantic slat on the piece that makes it his own.

And so it goes with all of the tracks on this very soulful CD, Whalum's sax, always lyrical and luscious does justice to the Babyface songbook, so much so that it hard to pick just one track to love above all others. But if I had to choose I would hold track No. 5 When Will I See You Again, above the musical pack. Whalum plays his sax like no other performer past of present save Grover Washington Jr., and on this track you can hear the love and dare I say tenderness he pours into the song; who needs words when Whalum plays, so delicious, soulful, and corporeal is the sound?

Whalum is not alone of course he has gathered together some of the heavyweights of the genre to perform with him, they include Norman Brown (guitar); Chuck Loeb (acoustic guitar); Dave Koz (soprano saxophone); Rick Braun (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ricky Peterson (Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards); Christian McBride (bass guitar), and; Babyface (background vocals). Braun's presence is most keen felt and heard on track No. 2 Can We Talk, as is Norman Brown's, and the affect is pure musical magic.

Whalum is joined again by Norman Brown for track No. 10 Whip Appeal. The contrast between Brown's laid back acoustic guitar licks and Whalum's soulful tenor saxophone makes this an interpretation not soon duplicated or bettered.

Babyface, himself provides the background vocals on track No. 11 I Said I Love You, but Whalum's sax does the real "singing" here. This is another gently soulful, instrumental slow-dance and the sax/vocals combination makes it a keeper; light the fireplace!

There is not a track on the well produced CD not to like; there are no fillers her, no after-thoughts; all of the songs are performed with same aural quality and integrity one would except from a master like Whalum. Smooth Jazz stations are you listening? "Kirk Whalum Performs The Babyface Songbook" is on my CD shelve to stay!

WOW, is all I can say. This is one of my favorite Jazz CDs. Kirk does Babyface justice with his jazz rendition, I love every song.