Kirk Whalum - Caché (1993)

One of the early albums of the American saxophonist, a typical smooth jazz release of the early nineties, in which the melodic saxophone is combined with elements of R&B, pop-jazz and quiet storm. Whalum's style is extremely singing, soft and emotional.
However, Caché cannot be called an instrumental jazz album: a significant part of the material consists of vocal compositions, which was one of the reasons for the mixed critical reception of the album. Among the contributing musicians we find real stars: Nile Rodgers, Brenda Russell, Gerald Albright, Angela Bofill, Wilton Felder and Bob James are also featured on the album.

Based on the list of contributors, the album looks really impressive, although as AllMusic rightly noted, a cast of excellent musicians does not in itself guarantee outstanding musical material.

If we listen to Caché as early 90s smooth jazz, the album makes perfect sense: calm evening music, with beautiful saxophone, careful production work and many vocal tracks. However, you shouldn't expect meaningful, deep jazz.