Andrew White

Biography

While a multi-instrumentalist of some note, Andrew White's also a dedicated transcriber of John Coltrane solos. He formed Andrew's Music in Washington, D.C. in 1971, and has published volumes of transcriptions. White's not only done hundreds of Coltrane solos in painstaking detail, but also those of Charlie Parker and Eric Dolphy. White's own playing, particularly on soprano and oboe, has some of the Coltrane fervor and Eastern sensibility. White also plays alto, English horn, and electric bass. He began on soprano as a child, then moved to alto before beginning on oboe as a teen. White earned his bachelor's at Howard, where he studied oboe and theory. He attended Dartmouth, the conservatoire in Paris, and Suny in Buffalo during the mid- and late '60s. White was principal oboist with the orchestra of the American Ballet Theater in New York from 1968 to 1970, and played electric bass with Stevie Wonder and the Fifth Dimension from 1969 to 1970. He recorded on English horn and electric bass with Weather Report in the early '70s. White arranged and conducted music for a Coltrane big-band tribute at the 1976 Newport Jazz Festival in New York. During the '80s, White led a quartet and played alto and soprano saxophones. Mal Waldron was among the musicians who played in the group. He also played in combos led by Elvin Jones and Beaver Harris. White published books on music production and retailing in the '80s, as well as several volumes of X-rated road stories. He's recorded many sessions on his Andrew's Music label. ~ Ron Wynn and Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide