Andrew White (saxophonist)

Andrew White is an American saxophonists, specializing in Jazz and R&B.

Biography

Andrew White was born on September 6, 1942, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, completing his public school education there. He returned to Washington, D.C. in September 1960 to attend Howard University. He graduated in June of 1964, Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Music Degree, majoring in music theory, and with a minor in oboe. After his four years at Howard University he attended the Paris Conservatory of Music, in Paris, France on a John Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship for continued study of the oboe.

On May 14, 2006, Mr. White was the 2006 Gold Medal Honoree of the French Society Of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, in Paris. He shares the award with past honorees including Violinist-Conductor Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Virtuoso Trumpeter, Maurice André, Composer Olivier Messiaen, and Scientist-Nobel Prize Laureate, Albert Schweitzer. Andrew White is the only American to receive this award for the year 2006.

The ten-year career of Andrew White, as oboist, also includes study at Tanglewood, Massachusetts, in the Summers of 1963 and 1966, The Dartmouth Community Orchestra, at Dartmouth University (then, College), study and performance of contemporary music at The Center Of Creative And Performing Arts, At the State University of New York, at Buffalo, on two Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships, 1965-1967, and his final position as principal oboist with The American Ballet Theater of New York, from January 1968 through August 1970.

As an electric bassist, Andrew White’s most viable career spanned the decade, 1966-1976. He was primarily the electric bassist with the singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, from 1968 through August 1970, concurrent with his position as oboist with the American Ballet Theater Orchestra. He was the principal electric bassist with the popular singing group, The Fifth Dimension, from 1970 through 1976. Among his most memorable recordings as an electric bassist is with the jazz-fusion super-group “Weather Report’s” ground-breaking album, “Sweetnighter,” recorded in January, 1973, on Columbia Records. This was the album that launched “Weather Report” to superstardom.

As a Saxophonist, Andrew White burst onto the international jazz scene in September, 1960, concurrent with his graduation from his studies at Howard University. His saxophonic career continues to flourish today, all the way from his college days with Washington, D.C.’s “J.F.K. Quintet,” (1961-63), Kenny Clarke (1965), Otis Redding (1967), McCoy Tyner (1970), Elvin Jones (1980-81), Beaver Harris (1983), The Julius Hemphill Saxophone Sextet (1987), “The Six Winds” Dutch Saxophone Sextet (1999), and on his own “Andrew White’s ZORROSAX ALLSTARS,” saxophone sextet (2002), and hundreds of personal solo appearances worldwide. These include solo performances at New York City’s Carnegie Hall (1974 and 1975), Lincoln Center (1990 and 1995), Town Hall (1975), The Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C. (1970 through 2005), Paris, France’s Theatre du Chatelet (1980), La Vila (1995), and a 1994 solo Summer tour of seven French cities. As composer, publisher, conductor and saxophone soloist, Mr. White was presented at the Mass Double Reed Orchestra of 300 Double Reed Instruments at the 32nd Annual Convention of The International Double Reed Society, in June 2003, at The University of North Carolina, at Greensboro, NC.

Academic

As a musicologist, Andrew White is known worldwide as “The Keeper of The Trane.” He is the world’s leading authority on the music of John Coltrane. Among his many musicological offerings through his music publishing firm, “Andrew’s Music,” is “The Works of John Coltrane, Vols. 1 though 14: 701 transcriptions of John Coltrane’s Improvisations.” Andrew White has “thoroughly and meticulously transcribed, encyclopeiasized, catalogued, documented, and self-published “the most significant linguistic contributor to the jazz language in the history of jazz, John Coltrane,” writes Peter Occiogrosso, in The Soho News, New York (May 15, 1975). Andrew White’s book on the music of John Coltrane, “Trane and Me” (1981), is standard and required reading at many of the world’s most important music schools, universities and conservatories.

As a scholar, transcriber, publisher, entrepreneur, Andrew White is the most voluminously “self-industrialized” artist in the history of music. His music publishing company Andrew’s Musical Enterprises, Incorporated, a.k.a. “Andrew’ Music” was established on September 23, 1971, and, today, boasts a comprehensive catalogue of over 2500 self-produced titles. These products include the world’s largest catalogue of saxophone transcriptions (totaling 1100), namely, the aforementioned 701 solo improvisations of John Coltrane 308 of Charlie Parker, 11 of Eric Dolphy, and 76 of Andrew White’s own solos.

The catalogue includes, as well, 400 original compositions, over 48 sound recordings (LP’s, Cassettes, and CD’s), 32 original books and treatises, among many other diverse products, all of which help to round out the sound recording, sheet music, and print sectors of Andrew White’s, “Andrew’s Music” catalogue. These works include Andrew White’s own 840 page, hard cover autobiography, “Everybody Loves The Sugar-The Book, “ (2001). “This is the largest self-produced autobiography in the history of music, weighing in at nearly seven pounds.” (Andrew White)

On November 15, 2007, Andrew White, Saxophonist, was honored by Howard University with the Benny Golson Master Award. He was presented in ceremony and concert, featuring the Howard University Jazz ensemble (Fred Irby, Director), at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Chapel.

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:usuf6jo171y0~T1 All Music]
* [http://www.aiartists.com/jhemphillsextet/whitebio.html American International Arists]