Romance Language

Personnel: Kirk Whalum (flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Michael Ripoll (acoustic guitar); Kevin Turner (electric guitar); George Tidwell (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ralph Lofton (organ); Marcus Finnie (drums).Audio Mixer: Bryan Lenox.Liner Note Author: Mark Ruffin.Recording information: Dark Horse Recording, Franklin, TN.Photographer: Raj Naik.Arrangers: John Stoddart; Kirk Whalum.The 1963 Impulse! Records LP John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman helped to redefine the renowned jazz saxophonist by pairing him with a singer on a collection of standards, showing that Coltrane wasn't (or wasn't only) an avant-gardist bent on playing free jazz. Nearly 50 years later, Kirk Whalum's Romance Language isn't going to have the same impact on his career, even though he has recorded the same half-dozen tunes with his brother Kevin Whalum taking the vocals. Kirk doesn't have Coltrane's reputation for one thing, and for another, he and Kevin are not trying to re-create the Coltrane/Hartman sound