Gospel According to Jazz!
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 @ 6:00 PM
SCOTTISH RITE CATHEDRAL
TICKETS $59-$79
Grammy winner and 12-time Grammy nominee Kirk Whalum has released more than 25 solo recordings, aside from his acclaimed “Gospel According to Jazz” series in four chapters.
His live performances, based on the Gospel series, have galvanized Berks Jazz Fest audiences in the past, and now he is returning with a new edition. Along with his stunning work as a saxophonist, Whalum is an ordained minister, with an M.A. in religion. He won a Grammy in 2011 for Best Gospel Song, along with songwriter Jerry Peters, for “It’s What I Do,” featuring Lalah Hathaway.
Also in the Gospel According to Jazz lineup will be acclaimed singer/songwriter guitarist Jonathan Butler, an international star born in South Africa, who has released 28 studio albums, the latest of which is “Ubuntu” (2023); Grammy-nominated pianist/composer John Stoddart; vocalist Kevin Whalum (Kirk’s brother), whose spirit-filled stylings are like no other; drummer Marcus Finnie, who has performed with Whalum for more than a decade, and is a Nashville-based session artist; and guitarist Kevin Turner, who is a bandleader as well as recording and performing with Whalum and other artists.
Featured artists will be multifaceted singer/songwriter Andréa Lisa, who has collaborated with renowned artists like Jonathan Butler, Ralph Johnson (Earth Wind & Fire), and George Brown (Kool & the Gang); and the Reading-based Fresh Wind Gospel Choir, who recently performed with Mr. Sipp at the Reading Blues Fest.