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October 20, 2004
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The svelte Englishman in the oversized jolly red suit preparing to slide down the chimney of all the good little smooth jazz fans is guitar sensation Peter White. This year, he’s bringing a couple of special elves with him on his musical mission of holiday merrymaking. Trumpeter Rick Braun and saxophonist Mindi Abair are loading up White’s musical sleigh as they prepare to embark on an 18-city U.S. concert journey kicking off in San Diego, California on November 26th. White, Braun and Abair will deck the halls with jazzy versions of seasonal classics, a few original holiday songs and some of their best known hits. A Peter White Christmas is a holiday treat loaded with only the finest ingredients - fun, funk, jazz and pop - and is guaranteed to enchant even the meanest of Scrooges.
All three artists have previously released holiday CDs, which is one of the things that inspired White to launch the tour, now in its second year. “My earliest memories of Christmas were probably not much different from many other people: snowflakes, tinsel, Santa Claus, reindeer and the opening of presents surrounded by family. As a child, my father taught me to play Christmas music on my first instrument, the recorder, and my love for holiday music has endured throughout the years. I hope this tour will be an opportunity for fans to enjoy their favorite Christmas songs in a family setting. Perhaps I’ll even bring my recorder.”
Over the past decade, White’s intimate way with acoustic guitar melodies has scored twelve #1 singles that have helped define the smooth jazz radio format. Earlier this year, MediaBase 24-7’s research revealed that White’s music is the most played on the entire radio format. The four-time consecutive winner of the National Smooth Jazz Awards “Guitarist of the Year” honors is currently supporting his ninth solo album, Confidential, which was released in March. The first single from the album, “Talkin’ Bout Love,” spent seven weeks at #1, and the new single from the collection, “How Does It Feel,” just entered the Top 20 on its ascent to the peak position. His guitar sound has become his signature, a sensitive and emotive voice of melody, which sings eloquently over R&B, jazz, pop and Latin rhythms. White, who first made his mark as a teenager while playing with singer-songwriter Al Stewart, with whom he wrote the hit “Time Passages,” has recorded and/or toured with Abair, Basia, Dave Koz, Richard Elliot, Boney James, David Benoit, Gato Barbieri, Euge Groove, Craig Chaquico, and Braun.
Braun is also regarded as one of the top artists in all of smooth jazz, a format that he fell into after a stint in the pop world, where he co-penned the hit, “Here With Me,” while playing with REO Speedwagon. He went on to play in Sade’s band, which helped him hone his own sound as a solo artist. The trumpeter consistently delivers #1 hit singles and his albums often camp out at the top of the national charts for months on end. Braun has released ten solo albums, including a new live collection, Sessions Volume 1, released on the newly launched Artisan Records label, which he owns with saxophonist Richard Elliot. Twice named “Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year” by the Gavin Report, Braun is also recognized as an ace in the studio, where he has produced records for White, Benoit, Marc Antoine, Jeff Golub, Eric Marienthal, Willie & Lobo, amongst others. On the concert stage and on record, Braun is a soulful and dynamic funkster, who has recorded and toured behind collaborative duo and trio album projects with Boney James and Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown (BWB).
Abair was last year’s breakthrough new artist of the year in smooth jazz. She shared the stage on White’s inaugural Christmas concert tour last year and she’s back for another trek, this time in support of her recently released sophomore album, Come As You Are. Abair is an instrumentalist and a vocalist who incorporates rock and pop into her soul-jazz selections and she has already started her own collection of #1s. The sassy saxophonist’s crossover appeal landed her an opening slot on tour this past summer with Josh Groban. Before emerging as a solo artist, Abair toured with The Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, Duran Duran and Jonathan Butler. It takes a strong talent to share the stage with two luminaries like White and Braun; Abair is a radiant and gifted musician who is more than up to the task.
The itinerary for A Peter White Christmas concert tour is below (additional dates may be added):
November 26 San Diego, CA Spreckles
November 27 Incline Village, NV Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe at Incline Village
November 28 Fresno, CA Tower Theatre
December 1 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre
December 2 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
December 3 Destin, FL Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
December 4 Atlanta, GA Robert Ferst Center for the Arts
December 6 Stuart, FL Lyric Theatre
December 7 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Tavern
December 8 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
December 9 West Reading, PA Scottish Rite Cathedral
December 10 Huntington, NY IMAC
December 11 New Haven, CT John Lyman Center/S. Connecticut State College
December 12 St. Charles, IL Norris Arts Center
December 13 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theatre/Potawatomi Bingo Casino
December 15 Cleveland, OH Playhouse Square Center Allen Theatre
December 18 Huntington Beach, CA Huntington Beach Cultural Center (Mindi Abair will not appear)
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September 3, 2004
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Smooth jazz guitarist Peter White is set to depart for Cuba this holiday weekend where he'll spend Labor Day performing for over 6,000 members of the U.S. armed forces and their families stationed at the Guantanamo Bay military base. The British recording artist, who resides in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California, will perform as part of the 2nd Annual Guantanamo Bay Jazz Festival. The base is home to all five branches of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
"It's quite an honor to be able to perform for the men and women who are proudly serving and devoting their lives to protecting our freedom," said an excited White. "I'm looking forward to the adventure."
White released his ninth solo album on Columbia Records in March. The first single from Confidential, "Talkin' Bout Love," was his twelfth #1 radio hit. His new single, "How Does It Feel," entered the national radio chart this week and has begun its march to the top. In May, the Mediabase 24-7 radio airplay tracking service revealed that White is the most played artist in the entire smooth jazz radio format. For more than a decade, his distinctive acoustic guitar melodies combined with R&B, jazz, pop and Latin rhythms have helped shape and define the musical genre. A four-time consecutive winner of the National Smooth Jazz Awards Guitarist of the Year honor, White has formed a lasting bond with fans through passionate and energetic concert performances.
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August 17, 2004
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Plans for second Christmas concert tour take shape
The second single released from guitarist Peter White's latest Columbia Records album shared most added honors in the smooth jazz radio format this week, according to industry trade Radio & Records. The rousing "How Does It Feel" marks a departure for White and sounds different than anything else in the format. White showcases some nifty acoustic fretwork on the song he wrote on two guitars with producer Matthew Hager (Mindi Abair, Mandy Moore). The first single from White's Confidential album, released last March, was the #1 hit, "Talkin' Bout Love," which held the top spot for seven weeks. It was White's twelfth #1 single.
A touring veteran that thrives on the concert stage interacting with audiences, the second annual "A Peter White Christmas" concert tour is set to commence on November 26th in San Diego. Sharing the marquee with White this year will be trumpeter Rick Braun and saxophonist Mindi Abair. The artists will perform their best known hits along with seasonal holiday classics during the month-long trek. The complete concert itinerary will soon be revealed.
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April 12, 2004
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Peter White aces his 12th #1 single,
the first from the new Confidential album
Guitarist Peter White has scored his twelfth #1 single on Radio & Records' national smooth jazz radio charts with "Talkin' Bout Love." The track is the first offering from White's Confidential CD, which was released by Columbia Records on March 23rd. Paul Brown produced the single, a sweet mid-tempo groove warmed by a rich Jerry Hay horn arrangement, providing a beautiful counterpoint to White's emotive guitar melody.
Over the past decade, White's distinctive R&B, jazz and pop instrumental albums have consistently topped the charts and his hit singles have helped define a radio format. Confidential depicts an artist in peak stride. The guitarist is the focal point that ties together the collaborative effort of a variety of musicians, producers and writers, including Brown, Chris Botti, Mindi Abair, Brian Culbertson, Michael Paulo and vocalists Christopher Cross and David Sparkman.
Thus far, the critics have praised Confidential. Jazziz wrote, "His Caravan of Dreams (1996) and Perfect Moment (1998) CDs each spent more than a year on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart, and his new Confidential (Columbia Records) should continue the trend." Jazzreview.com wrote, "A carefully nurtured work that took more than a year to create, the CD is a collection of soothing vibes and delicious grooves…Each song fits perfectly into a delicately flavored landscape of sexy nuances and softened tones." JazzUSA.com declared, "Peter White is arguably one of the best guitarists of our time, and certainly the best smooth jazz guitarist."
Look for Peter White summer tour dates to be announced shortly.
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MARCH 23, 2004
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Confidential captures an artist in peak stride as the guitarist raises the bar on himself each time out. White's guitar is the focal point that ties together the collaborative effort of a variety of musicians, producers and writers. White wrote or co-wrote ten new songs for the album, which boasts contributions from soloists Brown, Chris Botti, Mindi Abair, Brian Culbertson, Michael Paulo and vocalists Christopher Cross and David Sparkman. According to White, every album is personal and every note on the album has his personality. He finds it hard to listen to the songs he writes alone as they are so personal that "it's like staring at yourself in the mirror." The music emanates from his heart and always seems to find its way into the hearts of listeners.
Just barely out of his teens, White went to the top of the pop charts in the 1970's in association with multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter Al Stewart. Years later, his solo music helped smooth jazz flourish and his guitarwork has graced recordings by such luminaries as Abair, Dave Koz, Boney James, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Basia, Gato Barbieri and Philip Bailey.
"People ask me all the time about smooth jazz, but the reality is that the format formed out of the music we were playing in the early 1990s," White explained. "Although I hate being categorized, we were not drawn to this format; we helped to create it. The smooth jazz audience is the most diverse audience out there. I look at it as a great leveler, a musical mixing pot without borders or boundaries. It's all about the songs. In the end, you'll be remembered for your songs."
White, a consecutive four-time winner of the "Guitarist of the Year" award at the National Smooth Jazz Awards, thrives on the concert stage, loving "the opportunity to interact with fans and the immediate feedback you can only get in a live setting." A full concert tour will be mounted to support Confidential. The complete itinerary will be announced soon, but below are some initial dates to see Peter perform with his band:
May 7 Washington, DC Ronald Reagan International Trade Center
May 15 Sacramento, CA Radisson Hotel
May 16 Newport Beach, CA Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Jazz Festival
May 29 San Diego, CA KIFM-FM Anniversary Smooth Jazz Festival (4th & Island)
June 23-28 Hawaii Dolphin Days
July 16 Carlsbad, CA Four Seasons Resort
October 1 Newport Beach, CA Hyatt Newporter
October 2 Temecula, CA Thornton Winery
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January 8, 2004
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March 23rd album release to be preceded by the first radio single
Confidential promises to continue the storied affair between White and his fans. It's his most intimate disc to date and he wrote or co-wrote ten new compositions. He also recorded a gorgeous Brenda Russell tune, "She's In Love," featuring the positively heavenly vocals of Christopher Cross and a sexy Latin setting courtesy of producer Paul Brown. Also collaborating with White on the album were Chris Botti, Brian Culbertson, Mindi Abair, Steve Ferrone, Lenny Castro, Paulinho DaCosta, Michael Paulo, Rex Rideout, Mathew Hager, and Steve Dubin. The album took over a year to record as White struggled to delve deep within.
"By 'confidential' I mean personal and revealing; that's exactly what this record is to me," White explained. "I play from the heart, which is where music ultimately comes from. It's about tapping into the soul and allowing the emotions within to pour forth. The battle is to trust your instincts without trying to be too clever, which only ends up corrupting the process and seldom works anyway."
Immediately after finishing Confidential, White launched his first headlining Christmas concert tour, which started the day after Thanksgiving and finished December 20th. Saxophonist Abair joined White on the national trek that featured holiday music as well as hits by both artists. Spring and summer concert dates to support the Confidential album release will be announced.
White's Confidential album contains the following songs:
"Coast Road Drive"
"Talkin' Bout Love"
"How Does It Feel"
"She's In Love"
"Are You Mine"
"Lost Without Your Love"
"Confidential"
"Swept Away"
"Jump On It"
"Stormfront"
"Endless Journey"
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January 16, 2002
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SMOOTH JAZZ GUITARIST PETER WHITE IS OFF TO A "GLOWING" START TO THE NEW YEAR
#1 Single, Multiple Award Nominations Harbingers of a Radiant Year Ahead
Peter White is starting the New Year off on top. The first single ("Turn It Out") from his new Columbia Records album, "Glow," spent four weeks at #1 on the national smooth jazz radio charts. A multiple National Smooth Jazz Awards winner, White received three nominations for the Third Annual National Smooth Jazz Awards. White teamed with Dave Koz and a host of other "friends" of the format on "A Smooth Jazz Christmas," which spent four weeks at #1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz album chart and received a Grammy nomination in the pop instrumental album category.
White toured the U.S. extensively during the holiday season performing with his "A Smooth Jazz Christmas" co-stars - Koz, Rick Braun, Brenda Russell and David Benoit - in largely sold-out concert venues. The guitarist garnered nominations from the National Smooth Jazz Awards for "Guitarist of the Year," "Male Artist of the Year" and "Collaboration of the Year" for a duet with Russ Freeman. The National Smooth Jazz Awards, which named White "Guitarist of the Year" the last two years, take place in San Diego on March 2.
Plans are set for the second single release from "Glow" to be shipped to radio in February. Peter creates a hint of mystery and romance on "Bueno Funk," a percussive rich, Latin-singed escapade that features Steve Cole's sax and Lenny Castro's percussion.
Few have been as consistent as White in his or any other musical format as he has an impressive collection of #1 singles and albums that have helped define smooth jazz over the past decade. His delicate acoustic guitar tone and heartfelt melodies have eloquently evolved into a unique musical voice that has become a staple of radio playlists. An artist that is passionate about the concert stage, White has cultivated an immense following through years of performing for loyal fans clamoring to hear music from any one of his eight albums released to date.
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