Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum released EPIC COOL, his newest album, on May 17. He will perform at DC’s Blues Alley from Friday, June 21, to Sunday, June 23, to celebrate. We talk about a range of subjects, from the impact his Nigerian/Swiss producer Greg Manning has on his new recording to the effects of his parents raising him in a blues town, Memphis, on his work in jazz. Surprisingly, when we talk about his conversion to Catholicism in 2022, he shares that he is a second cousin to Sister Thea Bowman.