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Lenny White

Leonard White III is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever and being one of the forerunners of jazz-rock/funk.

White was born in New York City. A self-taught, left- handed drummer on a right-handed kit, he began his career in local groups, and playing regularly with Jackie McLean in the late 1960s. In 1969, he first appeared on Miles Davis' historic recording on Bitches' Brew and later in 1970 he played with Freddie Hubbard on Red Clay before joining Corea's Return to Forever and Azteca in 1972. A year after, Azteca dissolved and he became dedicated to RTF. For five years, he recorded a number of albums with Return to Forever including the award winning "No Mystery" and "Romantic Warrior. When the group split up in 1977 White signed with the Nemperor label (via Atlantic) and recorded two albums as leader.

In 1978, he switched to Elektra for his album Best of Friends, before forming the group Twennynine in 1979, with Carlo Vaughn (vocals), Jocelyn Smith (vocals), Skip Anderson (keyboards), Barry Johnson (bass), and Eddy Martinez (guitar). He later became one of the Jamaica Boys, a group also including Marcus Miller (bass) and Dinky Bingham (vocals), and worked with all-star groups Echoes of an Era and Griffith Park.

White has played with many of the greatest jazz musicians, including Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Gato Barbieri, Gil Evans, and Stan Getz.

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Album Review

Gerald Cannon: Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy

Read "Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy" reviewed by Jack Bowers


In June 2022, bassist Gerald Cannon assembled an all-star septet to perform compositions by his late friends and musical colleagues, drummer Elvin Jones and pianist McCoy Tyner, in concert at Dizzy's Club in New York City. It is a respectable blowing session, with capable solos by all hands, albeit a tad less than one might expect from such an esteemed ensemble. That is not to say anything on the menu is bland or unsavory. Still, expectations are ...

7
Album Review

Eddie Henderson: Witness To History

Read "Witness To History" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Make no mistake: it is the hot buttered soul, “Shaft"-like theme of “Scorpio Rising" that first snags one's attention. But once snagged, the old cool sets in and Witness To History, trumpeter Eddie Henderson's self curated soundtrack, unwinds with a wicked fervor. A deep, wicked joy. Henderson--who has pretty much seen it all from the impulsive, jazz rock Realization (Capricorn, 1973) through The Cookers to the still palpable Shuffle and Deal (Smoke Avenue, 2020)--looks back for a PBS ...

5
Album Review

Gerald Cannon: Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy

Read "Live At Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


In the heart of the jazz universe, bassist Gerald Cannon pays homage to a couple of legendary figures Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner with his album Live at Dizzy's Club: The Music of Elvin & McCoy. Not only is the recording an acknowledgement of the many years Cannon spent playing with Elvin and McCoy, but it is also a virtuosic tribute to the drummer and pianist who defined their dynamic interplay as part of the John Coltrane Quartet during the ...

25
Reassessing

The Electric Years Box Set

Read "The Electric Years Box Set" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


In a year that has brought us a true bounty of previously unheard majesty including Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Impulse!), and Bill Evans; Treasures: Solo, Trio & Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969), (Elemental Music) it is only fitting that Miles Davis get his due. And in a very, very big way. Seared into modern memory, modern art, the music presented on the gloriously massive, eleven LP set Miles Davis: The Electric Years ...

4
The Vinyl Post

Blackstone Legacy

Read "Blackstone Legacy" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


When trumpeter Woody Shaw passed away in 1989, he left behind a wealth of amazing music, notwithstanding the realized sadness inherent in wondering what more he could have accomplished had he lived a longer life. Back in the mid '60s, Shaw was ubiquitous as a sideman recording iconic albums with the likes of Larry Young, Horace Silver, Chick Corea, Art Blakey, and McCoy Tyner. Despite common misconceptions, Shaw led his first date as a leader in December of 1965, which ...

5
Album Review

Eddie Henderson: Witness To History

Read "Witness To History" reviewed by Dave Linn


Dr. Eddie Henderson, 82 years old at the time of writing in 2023, has one of the most interesting stories in modern jazz and is a true Renaissance man. His parents were entertainers; his mother was a dancer at the original Cotton Club while his father was a member of the popular singing group Billy Williams and the Charioteers. Later, his stepfather was a doctor to Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington. When he was nine years old, his ...

2
Album Review

M. E. B.: That You Not Dare To Forget

Read "That You Not Dare To Forget" reviewed by Doug Collette


With all due respect to Lettuce's A Tribute to Miles Davis--Witches Stew (Self Produced, 2017) and the all-star ensemble dubbed Bitches Brew Revisited, M.E.B. (formerly known as Miles Electric Band) is an inordinately creative homage to Miles Davis. And given the continually experimental path The “Man With The Horn" chose to follow throughout his career, it is no doubt one of which he would approve. That You Not Dare To Forget is a slightly less than half-hour audio ...

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1

Performance / Tour

World-Renowned Smoke Jazz Club Announces August Line-Up Including Johnathan Blake’s Latest Blue Note Album, Performances By Special Guests Brad Mehldau, Lenny White, Emmet Cohen, And More

World-Renowned Smoke Jazz Club Announces August Line-Up Including Johnathan Blake’s Latest Blue Note Album, Performances By Special Guests Brad Mehldau, Lenny White, Emmet Cohen, And More

Source: AMT Public Relations

Rated the #1 Jazz Club in New York City (Secret NYC), Smoke Jazz Club welcomes some of today’s leading artists to the stage during the month of August. SMOKE is thrilled to welcome back its former Hammond B-3 organist-in-residence Emmet Cohen this time welcoming beloved saxophonist Houston Person for one-night only Aug 23. Johnathan Blake, one of the most accomplished drummers of his generation, celebrates his sophomore Blue Note album in a four-night run Aug 24-27. For the most updated ...

4

Performance / Tour

Strata-East At 50! June 16th With Narrator Danny Glover, Charles Tolliver, Billy Harper, George Cables, Buster Williams, Lenny White & Special Guests!

Strata-East At 50! June 16th With Narrator Danny Glover, Charles Tolliver, Billy Harper, George Cables, Buster Williams, Lenny White & Special Guests!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Strata-East Records celebrate 50 years of amazing Jazz on June 16th at 7:30pm EDT. Price: $20. Day of show $25. The performance will be available on-demand for 48 hours starting June 17th at 12:00 AM EDT. Strata-East @ 50 featuring Charles Tolliver, Billy Harper, George Cables, Buster Williams, Lenny White and special guest Danny Glover! Strata-East Records, now in its 50th year, was created by Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell. Their first recording in 1970, “Music Inc" & Big Band, ...

4

Recording

Charles Tolliver's 'Connect' Featuring Buster Williams, Lenny White And More! First Release In 13 Years!

Charles Tolliver's 'Connect' Featuring Buster Williams, Lenny White And More!  First Release In 13 Years!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

New York-based trumpeter, composer and educator Charles Tolliver presents Connect, his first studio album in 13 years. There's no title track on the new album from Charles Tolliver, but the name—Connect—isn't some ethereal abstraction: it's an invitation. Release date: July 31st. “I wanted the music to connect in these times," explains the trumpeter-composer, a 50-plus-year music veteran and the co-founder of the legendary 1970's jazz label Strata-East Records. “I'm asking the listener to get it: to get what I'm doing, ...

3

Performance / Tour

Letizia Gambi & The Jazz Elite With Lenny White, Helen Sung And More At The Cutting Room On April 11th!

Letizia Gambi & The Jazz Elite With Lenny White, Helen Sung And More At The Cutting Room On April 11th!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

April 11th. One Night Only! The Cutting Room April 11th, 9:30pm 44 East 32nd St. New York, NY 10016 Band Members Lenny White: Drums Helen Sung: Piano Ollie Bowmann: Double Bass Jisoo Ok: Cello Tom Guarna: Guitar Letizia Gambi's music is a combination of her Neapolitan-Italian roots with the heritage of Black American Jazz. Her Mediterranean passion sings through Jazz's language in a contemporary, ...

8

Performance / Tour

Letizia Gambi With Special Guests: Lenny White, Fahir Atakoglu, Dave Stryker & More At Blues Alley On January 29th

Letizia Gambi With Special Guests: Lenny White, Fahir Atakoglu, Dave Stryker & More At Blues Alley On January 29th

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Letizia Gambi with Special Guests: Lenny White, Fahir Atakoglu, Dave Stryker, Jisoo Ok and Ollie Bomann! Blues Alley January 29, 2020 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM One Night Only! Blues Alley 1073 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. Letizia Gambi's music is a combination of her Italian-Neapolitan roots with the heritage of Black American Jazz. It is a “cultural fusion", her January 29, 2020 performance at Blues Alley will feature a ...

3

Recording

Tenor Saxophonist Mike Lee New Release February 18th Song For All Of Us Featuring Lenny White, George Colligan, Dave Stryker & More!

Tenor Saxophonist Mike Lee New Release February 18th  Song For All Of Us Featuring Lenny White, George Colligan, Dave Stryker & More!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

With his new release, Song For All of Us (IYOUWE Records), veteran saxophonist Mike Lee shows the breadth of his musical pallet. Lee works with his wide-ranging musical associations and weaves them together with innovative compositions as well as standard repertoire. There are several different band configurations within this offering. From the core trio of tenor saxophone, bass, and drums, to several different quartet and quintet settings each grouping contributes to the unified sound. Drummer Lenny White, bassist Ed Howard ...

6

Radio

Lenny White Podcast - He Hosts In-Depth Interviews With Ron Carter, Mike Clarke, DJ Logic And More! Listen And Learn!

Lenny White Podcast - He Hosts In-Depth Interviews With Ron Carter, Mike Clarke, DJ Logic And More!  Listen And Learn!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

IYOUWE Universe Podcast now available! Click here to hear the new IYOUWE Universe Podcast. The brand new interview podcast, IYOUWE Universe, is out now on all major podcast hosts! Hosted by Lenny White, the podcast delivers candid interviews with some of music's most influential figures. First three episodes: Ron Carter | Mike Clark | DJ Logic New episodes will become available every Tuesday! Listen now on: iTunes | Google Play Music | Stitcher Radio ...

3

Recording

New On Lenny White's Venture IYOUWE! Norbert And Karen Stachel & LehCats - Movement To Egalitaria

New On Lenny White's Venture IYOUWE! Norbert And Karen Stachel & LehCats - Movement To Egalitaria

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Funky, Soulful Sounds Featuring More Than 30 Players! “Movement to Egalitaria is a line in the sand. Any jazz fusion recordings that are released in the future will be compared to this album. Karen Stachel and Norbert Stachel have delivered an epic and energetic production for the ages. They have poured their hearts and souls into creating something that will stand the test of time- not just because of its brilliant virtuosity—but because this album has vision and ...

6

Music Industry

Legendary Drummer Lenny White Launches New Venture: IYOUWE

Legendary Drummer Lenny White Launches New Venture: IYOUWE

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

With projects featuring: Joel Levine & Pete Levin IYOUWE is a musical collective created by Lenny White to promote real music in an ever-changing cultural terrain. The collective includes musicians, singers, poets, and rappers. Although many styles of music are embraced by this group, artists at IYOUWE are responding to the urgent need for a culture that has values and values freedom. Our first intention is to present music that inspires, provokes and finds a groove for you. To do ...

7

Recording

Keyboardist / Arranger / Composer Pete Levin Releases New CD: "Möbius" (Lenny White Label) on September 25

Keyboardist / Arranger / Composer Pete Levin Releases New CD: "Möbius" (Lenny White Label) on September 25

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

CD release performance set for November 8 at The Cutting Room in NYC Featuring Lenny White, Tony Levin, Alex Foster and more! With A Nod To Gil Evans. Keyboardist-arranger-composer Pete Levin's ninth solo release, Möbius, was recorded live in the studio in two days, capturing the “no boundaries" spirit of Gil Evans. The music explores textural grooves ranging from straight-ahead bop to funk, world-beat, and the experimental. The disc features 10 tracks including eight originals, “I Mean You" by Thelonious ...

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live At Dizzy's Club:...

Woodneck Records
2024

buy

Unalome

Smoke Sessions Records
2023

buy

That You Not Dare To...

Legacy Recordings
2023

buy

Witness To History

Smoke Sessions Records
2023

buy

Blackstone Legacy

Contemporary Records/Craft Recordings
2023

buy

The Electric Years...

Columbia Records / VMP Anthology
2023

buy

Totem Pole

From: Witness To History
By Lenny White

Tayamisha

From: Unalome
By Lenny White

(Give Me Some) G-String

From: Air
By Lenny White

Dark Moon

From: Anomaly
By Lenny White

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