Street Date 03/13/12
"The vision comes out of the music. The music doesn't come out of the vision." - Peter White
White is a musician that relishes the in the moment spontaneity of creation. This vibrant eleven song set is of course produced by long time collaborator DC and boasts appearances from David Sanborn, Kirk Whalum and Charlotte White ( age 10!). Other stellar guests on this release include Philippe Saisse and an incredibly under appreciated saxophonist in Andrew Neu and together there is a captivating cohesion of energy that is infectious and remarkably fresh after White's roughly four decade career in the industry.
At times the smoother side of jazz is unfairly criticized as predictable or lacking the creativity found in the more straight ahead jazz scene. Smooth jazz is commercial Smooth jazz is highly lyrical and intended for air play and should make no apologies for their efforts. Here We Go works because of an eclectic and well thought out mix of genres that are arranged flawlessly to add nice depth and texture to an absolutely rock solid release. A wonderful personal touch is the addition of White's 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte White on violin on the tune "If Ever." Charlotte White reinforces the old adage of the apple not falling to far from the tree and her addition is a stroke of genius.
"Here We Go" is a tune inspired by and features David Sanborn on alto saxophone. A subtle slice of funkied elegance and a nice fat horn laden sound finds White riding the groove for all it's worth. A lyrical gem with just the right amount of pop to keep things interesting, White is at the very top of his game. Another contemporary saxophone titan by the name of Kirk Whalum makes an appearance on "Our Dance." White and Whalum go "unplugged" with the addition of Roberto Vally on the upright bass and take the signature White sound to another dimension. Pianist Saisse kicks off "Our Dance" with a slight gospel infusion which magically morphs into a delightful waltz tempo. "Our Dance" is a wonderful tune in search of a good movie, cinematic in scope but the organic simplicity of the beautiful melody carries it home. Kirk Whalum knocks it out of the park with his contribution and is the perfect saxophonist for the perfect number. Latin jazz is my musical happy place and "Costa Rica" is guaranteed to make your musical back leg shake. A free flowing Latin rhythm featuring the congas and timbales of Ramon Yslas adds not only the right amount of authenticity but a nice textured feel to a groove bordering on infectious.
Does Peter White reinvent the musical wheel here? No...White doesn't have to. Peter White simply takes a good thing and makes it better, so much so it is arguably his finest release to date. A well crafted and thoughtful gem with all the stars in perfect alignment for a virtually flawless recording.
A perfect mix of new and previously unfinished tunes combined with an eclectic variation in presentation makes Here We Go one of the years best releases across any genre.
Tracks: Night After Night; Time Never Sleeps; Here We Go; If Ever...; Our Dance; Desert Night; JoyRide; Costa Rica; My Lucky Day; Requiem For A Princess; Reunion.
Personnel: Peter White: guitar; Philippe Saisse: piano, keyboards; Nate Phillips: bass; David Sanborn: alto saxophone; Andrew Neu: background sax, soprano saxophone ; Gabriel The Gun: flugelhorn; Mel Scott: baritone saxophone; Kiki Ebsen: vocals; Charlotte White: violin; Ramon Yslas: congas, timbales, percussion; Kirk Whalum: saxophone; Roberto Valley: upright bass;
