Kirk Whalum - In This Life (1995)

Tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum really isn't a jazz musician. He's a pop instrumentalist and a good one, much in the style of David Sanborn. Whether leading his own instrumental sessions or playing behind such singers as Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, and Barbra Streisand, Whalum has a sure instinct for melody and a sense of dramatic restraint unknown to a sentimentalist such as Kenny G. On "In This Life," Whalum allows vocals to dominate (eight of 12 tracks) as he pays tribute to his native state of Tennessee and its special blend of Memphis soul and Nashville country. The result is an excellent justification for the much maligned genres of "quiet storm" and "adult contemporary" music. --Geoffrey Himes