Michael White

Spirit Dance and Pneuma were jazz violinist Michael White's first two albums as a leader. Both were originally issued by Impulse in 1972. They'd been available previously only as Japanese imports, but this two-fer in Universal's Impulse! 2 on 1 series marks their first issue on the format in the West. Before recording Spirit Dance in 1971, White had worked with Pharoah Sanders on Thembi, and with Alice Coltrane when she overdubbed the strings on John Coltrane's infamous Infinity album. Previous to this, he'd recorded with John Handy, and with the early fusion group Fourth Way, which also included percussionist Kenneth Nash and pianist Mike Nock. Spirit Dance reveals White's arrival as a fully formed - and very democratic - bandleader, with a specific, uplifting vision…

Although music like that heard on drummer Michael White's CD is marketed as "contemporary jazz," much of it sounds like Ramsey Lewis's recordings of 20 years ago. The hook-filled melodies, whiny sax by Everette Harp, the obligatory throwaway soul vocal from Phil Perry, a few pleasing but vapid melodic solos, the token jazz tune ("'Round Midnight") and fadeouts whenever the music nears the five- to six-minute mark are all quite predictable and formulaic.

Michael White - Spirit Dance / Pneuma (1972) {Impulse! 2-on-1 Series Remaster rel 2011}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 432 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 187 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 63 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1972, 2011 Impulse! / Verve / Universal Music | 06025 2780958
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Modal Music / Ethnic / Soul Jazz / Violin

An amazing two-fer – filled with rare spiritual sounds from Michael White! Spirit Dance is one of the killer albums that White cut for Impulse Records in the early 70 – a sweet set of spiritual jazz that took his instrument to a whole new level! Normally, the violin isn't an instrument we love in jazz, but White really transforms it here – playing it with a stretched-out, spiritual sound that's almost like a saxophone – really hitting a fresh sound that's mighty nice. Other instrumentation includes a nicely organic blend of piano from Ed Kelly, bass from Ray Drummond, and percussion and flutes from Baba Omson – often building in the way you'd get with a Pharoah Sanders album, but with a gentler, more personal sound.

2012 CD Single from the British singer, songwriter and Pop icon. This Single includes two new songs from the hitmaker: the self-penned 'White Light' and a previously unreleased version of the Tim Buckley classic 'Song To The Siren'. Also included are two remixes of 'White Light'. This release comes 30 years after the release of 'Wham Rap', his debut single with Wham. George has personally connected to this lyric from the single White Light 'I am back…..I am back…..prouder than ever baby……louder than ever maybe..' The single also contains a brand new recording of "Song to the Siren", a beautiful previously unreleased cover of the classic song.

A pleasant album by the drummer Michael White, featuring a lot of stars from jazz-funk as Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Gerald Albright, Byron Miller, John Beasley, Doc Powell and many others.

Still relatively unknown nearing the end of the 1970s, this talented violinist turned to George Duke to produce, arrange and hopefully reach some ears. The result for the most part is enjoyable but unremarkable jazz-pop-soul. On tunes like "The Red Planet," though, he's right there with the glory days of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Billy Cobham. It suggests what might have been for White before Jean-Luc Ponty staked out the high ground on the jazz violin landscape.