"Joined at the hip" by keyboardist Bob James and saxophonist Kirk Whalum features hip, fashionable, soulful and well-marketed jazz. Not surprising, but there is certainly nothing wrong with it. The CD opens with the 10-minute Whalum-written "Soweto", followed by "Kickin 'back", a Bob James composition. Of the nine songs, two were not written by them: "Midnight at the oasis" (a song from The Brand
… New Heavies) and "The ghetto" (a classic by Donny Hathaway). After the trio album "Straight up", which Bob James made, this has become a more trendy album, with somewhat longer songs, but that will certainly end up high in the jazz charts again. Sensitive quiet songs on "Joined at the hip" are "Tell me something nice" and "The prayer". Furthermore, they are mainly swinging mid-tempo songs based on jazz, soul and funk. James and Whalum were accompanied by Jeff Golub (guitar), Chris Walker (bass), Billy Kilson (drums) and a few other guests.more