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Glenn White

Described as “a brilliant gem,” Glenn’s modern jazz compositions and skilled, interactive playing have been called “a thoughtful, remarkable style,” which “stems from a deeper understanding,” as well as “everything we love about jazz. A beautiful melody. Something we can hold on to.” At a 2013 performance at WNYC's Greene Space, Glenn's music was described as, “inside this incredibly beautiful and haunting melody, inside your improvisation you were also being a composer . . . beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.”

A graduate of New England Conservatory, Glenn has performed alongside many notable musicians including Norah Jones, the Reigning Monarchs, Sunnyside Records artist Jamie Baum, Impulse! artist Greg Tardy, ECM Records artist Art Lande, and the Four Tops (opening for Chuck Berry). In addition to his own recordings, Glenn can be heard on releases by Matador Records artists Julian Plenti (featuring Paul Banks from Interpol), as well as popular singles that have charted on College Music Journal and elsewhere. Glenn's recordings, Sacred Machines (OA2 Records) and Time in Transit (Armored Records), and Quirk (Armored Records), are featured on radio stations and satellite radio internationally.

Glenn's performing and composing are enhanced by his experience as an educator, which has included a full-time faculty position at University of Alaska Fairbanks (saxophone, clarinet, jazz studies) and as a guest artist/clinician at a number of universities and high schools. Glenn is also a recent recipient of the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, which was used to produce the Jazz at the Shabazz summer concert series at the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center.

Glenn lives in New York City, where he performs with his own groups, which have been featured at South by Southwest, WNYC's Battle of the Boroughs, the Big Apple Underground Jazz Festival, and more. His groups have shared billing with Chris Potter's Underground, the Maynard Ferguson Alumni band, and many other notable artists and groups. For more information, please visit Facebook.com/GlennWhiteJazz.

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Glenn White

CD/LP/Track Review

Sacred Machines by Jay Deshpande
Sacred Machines by Elliott Simon

“There is a ceaseless forward motion and approachability to White's music that, for me, characterizes the best jazz of any age.”
–JazzReview.com

“We are also joined by Glenn White . . . for what was one of the finest moments we've had as a band.”
–Greg Behrendt, The Reigning Monarchs

“Time in Transit operates with a slick smoothness; these songs are shockingly accessible, decorated with enough melodic hooks to reel in the unenlightened.”
–Jazz Corner

“A sophisticated mix of probing and intriguing original compositions

“There is a ceaseless forward motion and approachability to White's music that, for me, characterizes the best jazz of any age.”
–JazzReview.com

“We are also joined by Glenn White . . . for what was one of the finest moments we've had as a band.”
–Greg Behrendt, The Reigning Monarchs

“Time in Transit operates with a slick smoothness; these songs are shockingly accessible, decorated with enough melodic hooks to reel in the unenlightened.”
–Jazz Corner

“A sophisticated mix of probing and intriguing original compositions. White has a strong and robust sound, and the writing mixes well structure and freedom.”
–Jazz Weekly

“Soulful and rich . . . commanding presence . . . the ethos here is definitely one of interactional musicianship amid strong compositions.”
–All About Jazz

“Progressive jazz is made accessible for once as the genre's wild experimentation is tempered with sleek craftsmanship and an actual point. It becomes quickly obvious that saxophonist Glenn White and his band are sculpting actual soundtracks to their fevered imaginations, producing tracks that are atmospheric, compelling, and even playful.”
–All About Jazz

“White plays with warm, intense soul.”
–Cadence

“Time In Transit lives up to the sterling reputation that jazz bands from NYC have maintained for decades.”
–Muzik Reviews

“A bit wild and zealous through the improvisations, Glenn White’s album, Sacred Machines shows unconformity and sheer sleekness in its melodic lines. His ensemble takes chances but also keeps their melodic proportions palatable. New York-based White creates contemporary jazz textures steep in tradition and post-bop freedom. You can hear the evolution of jazz in White’s compositions as he applies a modern approach to archetypal jazz idioms.”
–JazzReview.com

“Glenn White updates the smooth yet compositionally exquisite strain of postbop that artists such as Wayne Shorter pioneered in the ’60s.”
–Time Out New York

“With this release, White proves himself worthy of the jump from self- production to the eclectic but quality-driven OA2 label.”
–All Music Guide

“White is as accomplished a composer and band leader as saxophonist . . . The band, Sacred Machines – apparently a working unit – is a marvel. If Glenn White can keep producing discs of this quality, he is assured a long and productive career in the world of jazz.”
– Audiophile Audition

“White looms as a witty improviser during the totality of his likeable arrangements, often sparked by his full-bodied tenor sax phrasings. In effect, he’s a very rhythmic soloist who darts and weaves in between these pulsating and often-sinewy jaunts.”
–Ejazznews

“White refuses to be rushed or crowded, preferring settings that let his full tone breathe fully. There's little urgency or conflict here, but no narcotic effects, either. White's unison passages and contrapuntal dances with [Jamie] Baum, as on the Bach-like 'Wish,' dilate the cranium like coffee.”
– Signal to Noise

“Heavy with emotion . . . the music has great power.”
–Hartford Courant

“This is credible and interesting music.”
–Jazz.com

“You can tell right away this is a highly creative cat with an ear for exploration.”
–Midwest Record

“White freely admits being influenced by all sorts of things from Coltrane to the Cure. Certainly, he's got the talent to bring these two worlds of music together.”
–Arizona Republic

“I've just got one thing to say – Glenn White, you rock!”
–Get Out!

“The saxophone looks like it is an extension of his hands, easily connecting to mouth, mind and body. His is a thoughtful, remarkable style.”
– GoGo Magazine

“It's clear that his talent stems from a deeper understanding . . . very reflective, yet penetrating and full of soul.”
– Improvijazzation Nation

“A brilliant gem . . . tremendous chops on tenor saxophone as well as his prolific talents in jazz composition . . . Glenn White's music and band [are] at the level of playing that they could stand their own ground with world-class jazz artists.”
–HotBands.com

“White is a talented and original player.”
–Jazz Society of Oregon

“White is an accomplished, versatile tenor saxophonist.”
– The Silent Ballet

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