Here We Go Review
After nearly four decades of writing, recording and touring - either as a sideman or a solo artist - Peter White still seeks out the road not yet traveled. Whether it's new songs, new ideas, new styles or new collaborators, this virtuoso of contemporary jazz, classical, pop and Spanish guitar is at his best when standing on the edge of creative territory waiting to be explored. For White, it's always about the journey and where it will take him, and he's always ready to go. This sense of adventure is at the heart of Here We Go, the 11-song set, co-produced by White and long time collaborator DC (George Benson, Al Jarreau, Bob James, Jeffrey Osborne) includes a range of original material written in the recent and distant past and features guest spots from saxophonists David Sanborn and Kirk Whalum.
Like his previous album, Good Day (2009), Here We Go is a collection of songs written and recorded to move people on a level that's beyond any preconceived concepts. "When I start recording, I don't have a vision," White freely admits. "I just go with the moment - what feels good, what sounds good. The vision comes out of the music. The music doesn't come out of the vision." Some of the energy fueling this record is the realization of White's longtime dream to collaborate with Sanborn, whom he'd met while playing in a live jam session with several other musicians just a couple years ago. In truth, White has been a fan of the saxophonist for decades. "David is someone whom I've wanted to play with for the longest time," he says. "This is someone who played at Woodstock and recorded with David Bowie. His sound has become the inspiration for many of my contemporaries. He's a legend to me and to just about every musician I know."
Here We Go is, in many ways, a study in diversity - a collection of the joyous and the poignant, the newly crafted and the vintage. "I wanted variety," says White. "I wanted songs that moved me, in the hopes that they'll move the listener as well. I'm on a journey, and I want to bring with me anyone who's willing to follow. That's what the title of the album - and indeed, the spirit of the album - is all about."
