Andrew White (saxophonist) - Biography

Biography

White was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, completing his public school education there. He returned to Washington, D.C. in September 1960 to attend Howard University. He graduated in June 1964, Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Music Degree, majoring in music theory, and with a minor in oboe. After his four years at Howard University he attended the Paris Conservatory of Music, in Paris, France on a John Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship for continued study of the oboe.

As a saxophonist, White appeared on the jazz scene in September, 1960, concurrent with his graduation from his studies at Howard University, when he appeared with Washington D.C.’s J.F.K. Quintet, (1961-63), Kenny Clarke (1965), Otis Redding (1967), McCoy Tyner (1970), Elvin Jones (1980-81), Beaver Harris (1983), The Julius Hemphill Saxophone Sextet (1987), “The Six Winds” Dutch Saxophone Sextet (1999), and on his own “Andrew White’s ZORROSAX ALLSTARS,” saxophone sextet (2002), and hundreds of personal solo appearances worldwide. These include solo performances at New York City’s Carnegie Hall (1974 and 1975), Lincoln Center (1990 and 1995), Town Hall (1975), The Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C. (1970 through 2005), Paris, France’s Theatre du Chatelet (1980), La Vila (1995), and a 1994 solo Summer tour of seven French cities.

As composer, publisher, conductor and saxophone soloist, White was presented at the Mass Double Reed Orchestra of 300 Double Reed Instruments at the 32nd Annual Convention of The International Double Reed Society, in June 2003, at the University of North Carolina, at Greensboro, North Carolina.

The ten-year career of White as oboeist also includes study at Tanglewood, Massachusetts, in the summers of 1963 and 1966, The Dartmouth Community Orchestra, at Dartmouth College, study and performance of contemporary music at The Center Of Creative And Performing Arts, At the State University of New York, at Buffalo, on two Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships, 1965–1967, and his final position as principal oboist with the American Ballet Theatre, from January 1968 through August 1970.

As an electric bassist, White’s most viable career spanned the decade 1966-1976. He was primarily the electric bassist with the singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, from 1968 through August 1970, concurrent with his position as oboist with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra. He was the principal electric bassist with the popular singing group The 5th Dimension, from 1970 through 1976. Among his most memorable recordings as an electric bassist is with the jazz-fusion super-group Weather Report’s album, Sweetnighter, recorded in January, 1973, on Columbia Records.

On May 14, 2006, White was the 2006 Gold Medal Honoree of the French Society of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, in Paris. He shares the award with past honorees including Violinist-Conductor Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Virtuoso Trumpeter, Maurice André, Composer Olivier Messiaen, and Scientist-Nobel Prize Laureate, Albert Schweitzer. White was the only American to receive this award for the year 2006.