Bob James & Kirk Whalum -- Joined at the Hip (MQA-CD)

Back in 1996, pianist Bob James and saxophonist Kirk Whalum - two of the biggest names in contemporary jazz - combined their talents on the acclaimed Warner Bros, album, Joined At The Hip, which is now remastered and reissued as a MQA-CD and SACD release by evosound. Backed by a slick band comprised of guitarist Jeff golub, bassist Chris Walker, and drummer, Billy Kilson, the Pair served up some fine original material - including Whalum’s evocative tone poem, “Soweto” - and jazzed-up reamps of two big ‘70s hits : Maria Muldaur’s “Midnight At The Oasis”and Donny Hathaways’s “The Ghetto.” Though it was nominated for a Grammy and peaked at No. 10 in Billboard’s jazz charts, Joined At The Hip has often been overlooked and remains an important musical touchstone in both artist’s careers. The album’s 16 page booklet includes new liner notes featuring reminiscences from James, Whalum and the session’s original sound engineer, Ken Freeman. The original high resolution audio mixes where used