KP: Wow.
Jazz Monthly: Yeah, you know? Over 20 years ago, you said this. It says “Listen to my feelings. We may share that common bond.” I mean, that is so consistent with the great message that you have in this new album, because there you talk about communicating feelings, freedom of expression, and you talked about how it was a communication of feelings of your life experiences. And we know you’ve had a lot of experiences.
KP: My goodness me. That is so neat. I guess I haven’t read that in so long, but it is true. At least I do stay on point and I think that’s important because that’s what the music’s for.
Jazz Monthly: Exactly, so yeah.
KP: Wow. That’s pretty neat.
Jazz Monthly: Yeah, it’s very cool and when I was listening to all of your music and just exploring the liner notes and the albums and exploring the music too, just listening to those great lush chords and melodies, I said “Wow, this is the Kim I remember so well.” (Both laugh.)
KP: Well, I’m glad it reaches you. I’m very happy for that.
Jazz Monthly: Yes, and I love the new single, “Slap Happy.” What a great single. And I know the world’s going to embrace that song as well as the entire album because it really sets the tone for the entire project and it really bespeaks who you are as a person and an artist.
KP: Well, thanks. I like to intersperse groove with the harmonies you discussed and then have the top layer of the melody be the kingpin for the whole thing, but the underlying groove has to be stronger. Luckily I got some guys that I play with that I really enjoy playing with and some of them are a little hard to get together all the time because the drummer [Reggie Jackson] plays with Diane Schuur, the singer.
Jazz Monthly: Yes.
KP: So he’s out a lot. And Kevin, the guitar player, Kevin Turner, he’s out with Kirk Whalum a lot. Wasn’t Kirk originally from Texas, wasn’t he? I think he lives in Nashville now.
Jazz Monthly: Well, he’s originally from Memphis.
KP: Oh, Memphis, okay.
Jazz Monthly: Yeah, but he went to college in Texas and of course that is where he met Bob James and the story goes on, but he spent a lot of time in Texas and in fact he really got a nice foothold on his career while in Texas.
KP: Yeah, I guess that’s where I first caught up with him, then.
Jazz Monthly: Yeah, oh yeah, that’s when his name really started to resound throughout the music world was while he was in Texas.
KP: Okay.
Jazz Monthly: But I remember when he was in Texas when you could catch him at some of the local clubs and everybody knew he was going to go places because he was such a passionate player.
KP: He has a sound too. I love his sound.
Jazz Monthly: Yes, he has a great sound. I’ve had so many people tell me, other musicians, that say that when they first heard him on the radio they had to look him up and find him because it was just a sound that they had not heard in some time, so yeah, Kirk had made quite an impression on a lot of people, including his peers.
KP: Well, yeah, the guitar player that plays with me, he plays a lot with Kirk and then Reggie Jackson plays a lot with Diane Schuur, so when we get some touring dates together, hopefully they can work around our scheduling dates because the guys that played on the record I really want to play the live dates with us because there’s a real chemistry and communication between the guys playing the music that’s kind of a musical telepathy that makes the music a step above.
Jazz Monthly: Absolutely, and speaking of that, when I listened to the title track of this new record, you can really feel that because, wow, that is just such a wonderful track. That’s gotta be the No. 2 single, right?
KP: That’s the No. 2 single. Yeah, that’s right. And Katie is my daughter and when Katie smiles, it makes me smile.
Jazz Monthly: Oh yes, daughters are special, yes indeed. Kim, I want to talk about something that you mentioned earlier and that was the trumpet because that was your first instrument, right?
