Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Arthur White and Merge: When You Find It

8

Arthur White and Merge: When You Find It

By

Sign in to view read count
Arthur White and Merge: When You Find It
Turnabout, the saying goes, is fair play. The turnabout in this case is that of saxophonist Arthur White who, after years of teaching others the precepts of jazz at the University of Missouri, Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and, most recently, as director of Jazz Studies at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA, decided the time had come to turn the tables, so to speak, and put himself "on record" as someone who can not only talk the talk but walk the walk as a jazz artist and leader in his own right. The result of that turnabout is White's debut album, When You Find It..., a splendid quartet date on which White plays tenor saxophone all the way and composed every one of its eight tasteful themes.

It should come as no surprise that White's command of the horn is exemplary, and while his solos won't serve to separate him from the herd, they are invariably perceptive and well-sculpted. Much like a seasoned athlete, he won't beat himself. Having said that, it remains to be seen whether a competent but otherwise unexceptional group of relatively unknown musicians can find an audience outside their immediate neighborhood. Be that as it may, White and his colleagues are undeniably bright and earnest, as if their aim were to produce a respectable outcome rather than worry about how many ears it may reach. Which, in a jazz sense, is the proper way to approach any enterprise.

White's tunes, for the most part, are direct and lyrical, straight from the contemporary post-bop playbook, with some funk added for variety on "Intuition" and "Hiccups," and flat-out ebullience on the finale, "Great Plains." The lone ballad, "Second Time Around," is smooth and charming. While White's tenor is most prominent, there are shapely solos along the way by pianist Ken Kenner and guitarist Mark Tonelli, and reliable support from bassists Sam Copeland and Andrew Stinson and drummers John Kizilarmut and Marty Morrison. Vibraphonist Greg Carroll makes it a quintet on "Sweet Baby Sam" (on which he solos) and "Hiccups."

As an educator, White has been at the top of his game for nearly two decades, during which time he has composed and arranged for an array of well-known artists and performed with many of them as well. When You Find It... is a new step for him, one that not only furnishes a platform for his creative temper but will no doubt enable him to return to the classroom with an even broader smile on his face, one that makes any such venture more than worthwhile.

Track Listing

When You Find It; Intuition; Cyan; Second Time Around; Sweet Baby Sam; Tunnel Vision; Hiccups; Great Plains.

Personnel

Album information

Title: When You Find It | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: ARC - Artists Recording Collective

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.