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Dr. Michael White

Dr. Michael White - clarinet Although he grew up in the jazz-saturated environment of New Orleans and several of his relatives played with early jazz greats King Oliver and Kid Ory, Dr. Michael White's primary musical influence as a youth was his aunt, who played classical clarinet. White played clarinet in the noted St. Augustine's School Marching Band, but at the end of his college days he joined the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band led by Danny Barker, a banjoist and elder statesman of New Orleans traditional jazz. White also played with Doc Paulin's Brass Band, marching in funeral parades and exploring historical recordings of such band leaders as Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet, and George Lewis. During this period he had the opportunity to play alongside more than three dozen traditional jazz musicians born between 1890 and 1910. Although they had grown up within blocks of one another, Michael White and Wynton Marsalis had not met until the 1980s, when White sparked Marsalis’ interest in the music of the traditional jazz elders of New Orleans. This resulted in the seminal recording “Majesty of the Blues,” on which White is featured, and which marks Marsalis' turn toward appreciation and performance of the traditional repertoire of New Orleans jazz. Since then, White has served as a resident artist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has been named as a Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities at Xavier University, where he taught Spanish for more than 20 years. He also performed with a number of musical ensembles including the Young Tuxedo Brass Band and his own Original Liberty Jazz Band. In 2005, his home was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and he lost a huge collection of historical documents, recordings, and musical instruments. While living first in his car, being displaced in Houston, and then in a FEMA trailer, White gradually put his musical and personal life back together. He continues to teach and perform, commenting: "...one of the lessons that I learned, and I try to teach this to my students, is that one of the values of listening to jazz, especially New Orleans jazz, is not just for the danceable nature and the great music that it is, but also because of the lessons that it teaches and that can be used today. And one of those great lessons is that you have to improvise. You have to be able to take what comes and make something good happen with it." White recently released his first post Katrina recording of mainly original compositions entitled “Blue Crescent, ” on Basin Street Records.

Dr. Michael White: Blue Crescent

Read "Blue Crescent" reviewed by John Barron

by John Barron
November 1, 2008

The recovery of New Orleans from the effects of Hurricane Katrina has been slow coming. The city's musical community has been devastated by the forced relocation of numerous first-rate performers. Despite all the pain and tragedy of the last three years, local artists like clarinetist/educator Dr. Michael White are able to find solace in the enduring optimism and good-natured spirit of the crescent city. Blue Crescent finds White with an all-star, hometown cast of heavy-hitters performing a set of spiritually ...

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Album Review

Dr. Michael White: Dancing in the Sky

Read "Dancing in the Sky" reviewed by Joel Roberts

by Joel Roberts
January 8, 2005

I've had the good fortune to spend the last few New Year's Eves in New Orleans, sampling the Crescent City's always-tasty menu of music, food and high-spirited holiday hospitality. But if I were back here in New York and looking for a place to usher in the year with appropriate laissez le bon temps roule flair, I'd make a beeline to the Village Vanguard, where Dr. Michael White transports the Big Easy to the Big Apple each December 31st.

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Album Review

Dr. Michael White: Dancing In The Sky

Read "Dancing In The Sky" reviewed by Jim Santella

by Jim Santella
April 17, 2004

Traditional jazz gives you the kind of feeling that cannot come from other forms of music. Folkloric in its content, the songs connect you with history. It sets your mind at ease. “Dancing in the Sky” places you in the midst of a New Orleans funeral procession, as everyone returns from the cemetery and decides to celebrate a life. It’s a time for reflection and a time for moving forward.

Two traditional numbers and a double handful of ...

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Album Review

Dr. Michael White: Jazz from the Soul of New Orleans

Read "Jazz from the Soul of New Orleans" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
July 13, 2002

At the burning bush...

The problem I have had with Dr. Michael White has been that I felt him overtly reverent to New Orleans Jazz to the point of its asphyxiation (a complaint I frequently voice for Wynton Marsalis and the music of Ellington on). Jazz from the Soul of New Orleans causes me to refute my previous prejudices. Dr. White is a bit of the keeper of the flame. That flame, if you will, might be considered the ...

237

Album Review

Dr. Michael White: In a Tribute to Mr. Johnny Dodds

by Dave Nathan
January 1, 2001

Dr. Michael White is a professor of Spanish and Afro-American music at Xavier University. But his real job is working hard to make sure that the New Orleans jazz tradition stays alive and well through writings, lectures and performing. Selecting soul mate fellow clarinetist Johnny Dodds as the subject for this CD, White replicates tunes Dodds played with either his own group or with one of the many he was a member of during his performing years. The older brother ...

Event

Michael White Quintet UNIT2 - The Multi-Cultural Arts & Music Event "tour the ARTS.MWQ"

Source: Leisei Chen
September 28, 2011

Artist Presentation + Exhibition + Live Performance People Of All Colors And ARTS Coming Together For Humanity “tour the ARTS.MWQ" is the brainchild of Leisei Chen & Michael White, multi-cultured Jazz vocalist and living legend Jazz violinist, partners in life and music, and the founders of Michael White Quintet. The concept comes from their long-held vision to bring their Jazz group, the Michael White Quintet, to perform live with artists and at arts- centric venues, resulting in a diverse tour ...
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Recording

Michael White - Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 1 (2011)

Source: Something Else!
August 12, 2011

As much as famous folks like Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. have burnished the city of New Orleans' role in jazz, they didn't do it by playing in the style that made the city famous. Enter Michael White, beginning with a career-making sideman turn on Wynton's 1989 recording Majesty of the Blues. Seemingly untouched by the successive waves of R&B, soul, funk and hip hop, White's solo moments on that record harkened back to an earlier time—a much, much ...
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Event

Michael White Quintet Unit 2 Kicks Off Collaborative Arts Initiative Tour The Arts.mwq With A New Series Beginning September 25

Source: Leisei Chen
July 21, 2011

SERIES COMBINES LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES, PRESENTATIONS BY VISUAL ARTISTS, AND EXHIBITIONS AT THE CROATIAN CULTURAL CENTER OF GREATER LOS ANGELES SEPTEMBER 25, OCTOBER 1, AND OCTOBER 8 Los Angeles, CA—The award-winning Michael White Quintet UNIT2 inaugurates their new initiative, tour the ARTS.MWQ, with a weekly series running Saturday, September 25 through Sunday, October 8 at the Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles (CCCGLA) in San Pedro. The multicultural, uniquely collaborative events join performances from an array of musicians, conversations ...
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Recording

Dr. Michael White's Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 1 Coming This Month

Source: Michael Ricci
June 1, 2011

Basin Street Records have set a June 21, 2011 release date for Dr. Michael White's Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 1 (Part 2 will be released in early 2012). White has recorded ten projects under his own name and has participated on over forty recordings including the latest projects of Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, and Marianne Faithful. This is the fifth release of Dr. Michael White's on the Basin Street Records label following A Song for George Lewis, Jazz ...
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Performance / Tour

Michael White Quintet: Unit 2 Performs May 1 At The Center For The Arts, Eagle Rock

Source: Leisei Chen
April 13, 2011

Legendary Jazz Violinist (Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder) Debuts on the Sunday Evening Concert Series with his New, All-star Quintet (Los Angeles, CA) The Michael White Quintet: Unit 2 makes its debut on the Open Gate Theatre's Sunday Evening Concert Series at 7 pm on May 1 at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock. Led by legendary jazz violinist Michael White, and featuring some of Los Angeles' most talented musicians, the group features Leisei Chen, vocals; Timothy Young, ...
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Performance / Tour

UCLA Live Presents Alice Coltrane Tribute Dec. 5 All-star evening includes performances from McCoy Tyner, Kyp Malone, Nels Cline, Han Bennink, Daniel Carter, Michael White & Leisei Chen, Radha Botofasina, plus Flying Lotus and special guests

Source: Jessica Wolf
November 29, 2010

UCLA Live Presents Alice Coltrane Tribute Dec. 5 All-star evening includes performances from McCoy Tyner, Kyp Malone, Nels Cline, Han Bennink, Daniel Carter, Michael White & Leisei Chen, Radha Botofasina, plus Flying Lotus and special guests LOS ANGELES—A host of jazz luminaries and some of modern music's most exciting artists gather on the Royce Hall stage Sunday, December 5 at 7 p.m. in honor of the legendary Alice Coltrane. Led by Kyp Malone, of TV on the Radio and Rain ...
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Performance / Tour

Michael White Quintet Unit2 Live @ Blue Whale, Los Angeles

Source: Michael Ricci
June 26, 2010

The MWQ UNIT2 First JAZZ Club Appearances in Los Angeles! For experiencing Michael White Quintet UNIT2's music and live performance as well as the newly opened live Jazz bar “Blue Whale" in Little Tokyo which has a great acoustic listening environment, separate modern ambience bar area where friendly bartenders serve beautiful cocktails with delicious korean fusion dishes!

Friday July 2nd, 2010 : 9 PM - Midnight @ Blue Whale in Little Tokyo 123 Astronaut E S ...
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Performance / Tour

"Cosmic Soul Feast" Michael White Quintet Live @ Egan's in Seattle on November 29th

Source: All About Jazz
November 28, 2008

A Happy Thanks Giving! Feed your souls with music...

Since we announced our US trip, many people have asked if we will play any gigs. So here is a gig that just came up spontaneously. We are very much looking forward to play live music for you with Seattle's best musicians. Come and join us!

Saturday, November 29th 2008 - 11PM “Cosmic Soul Feast" Michael White Quintet Live @ Egan's Ballard Jam House in Seattle, WA

Featuring a ...
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Award / Grant

Michael White Quintet Officially Nominated for 2008 Hollywood Music Awards

Source: All About Jazz
September 6, 2008

Michael White Quintet Officially Nominated For 2008 Hollywood Music Awards The Hollywood Music Awards (HMA), presented by eWorld Music annouced that Michael White Quintet “Mechanical Man" from the album “Voices" has been officially nominated for 2008 HMA in the Jazz Category. Michael White Quintet “Mechanical Man" has been awarded for 2006 Second Place Winner in The International Songwriting Competition and 2007 Winner in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards.
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Interview

Re-Broadcasting Michael White Quintet 'S Music and Interview on Ckcufm "Now's the Time"

Source: All About Jazz
August 19, 2008

Re-broadcasting Michael White Quintet's Music and Interview on CKCUFM “Now's The Time" Tune into Now's the Time on Thursday, August 21st as host Andrew Forbes presents the music of the Michael White Quintet, as well as recordings spanning Michael White's career, and an interview with the musicians. This show is re-run from January 24th 2008 show, which has been improved it's technical difficulties for internet listeners. Enjoy the show!
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