About Lenny

Being one of the newer innovators on his instrument, Lenny White has found the time to expand and reinvent his career
by also becoming a great producer. His producing talents
have been sampled by Nancy Wilson, Chaka Khan, Diane
Reeves, Rachelle Ferelle and Marlena Shaw just to name a
few singers. Chaka Khan was nominated for a "Best Jazz
Vocal Performance" Grammy as a result of her paticipation
on Lenny's critically acclaimed "ECHOES OF AN ERA" project.
He's also produced projects for Pieces Of A Dream, the late great Grover Washington, Gato Barbieri, Wayne Shorter,
Wallace Roneyand hip-hop artist Big Daddy Kane. Not only has Lenny played with virtually everybody in the
music business, he's also managed to stay in touch with numerous innovative musicians, helping create some of the
most influential music of the past three decades. Along
with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola he helped
define Jazz-Fusion with the Grammy Award winning group, "Return To Forever". With fellow "Jamaica Boy" band member
and great producer Marcus Miller, Lenny co-scored the
music for Reginald Hudlin's critical and financially successful film,"HOUSE PARTY". Additionally, Lenny had a hand in the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film "SCHOOL DAZE."

Alternating between drummer and producer and always on the cutting edge of the music scene, Lenny has been continually pushing the musical envelope. 1968 was the year the great Jackie McLean asked an 18 year old Lenny to be a part of his band. The two drummers Jackie had employed right before Lenny were Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette. Everyone said Miles Davis was next. Lenny's 34 years in the recording
industry was baptized in 1969 when he, as a teenager, performed on the landmark recording "BITCHES BREW" with
Miles Davis. That Recording helped change the face of music
for the next 34 years. He also appeared on trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's famous RED CLAY along with greats Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and the late great Joe Henderson. Lenny has been
a part of more than a few landmark recordings. He's recorded eleven albums as a Leader and has toured Europe, The Far East, and The U.S. with his own bands. Recently, Lenny has participated in a number of performance pannels at The Harvard Law School and Columbia University discussing the new directions of Jazz and Hip-Hop and the effects they have on our culture. Whether it's as a drummer, producer, or composer we know innovation and excellence are words synonymous with Lenny White.

I play INNOVATION DRUMS made here in Detroit, Michigan U.S.A. and I have different set-ups. When I'm playing straight ahead I use an 18 x 14 bass drum. I use 8 x 12 and 9 x 13 mounted toms, 14 x 14 floor tom and a 5 x 14 snare.
All cymbals are Istanbul Agop Epoch Series. 22.5" Ride ; 20" Crash; 18" Crash; 14" Hi Hats. When I'm playing jazz-rock the bass drum is 22 x 16, or 20 x 20. Snare drum is also 5 x 14 Titanium, the toms are 8x12, 9x13 and , 14x14, 16x16 and 18x18 floor toms.>

Learn how to listen to music. You should learn as many old tunes as you can. Learn the changes of the tunes so, you really know how to shape and accentuate phrases. You've got to have a basic understanding of how to do that and really know how to render a melody.

The State of Jazz Fusion

Where it is right now. It doesn't exist. There are a few people attempting to play it and some people are doing it pretty well. But, you've got to understand that when we in the 21st
century emulate Be Bop that's exactly what we're doing, emulating. It was created a while back and what we can do
is try to emulate what it was, but not being of that era it's different. What fusion would need for it to have a return is
for the guys who created it to play it again and then we'll actually see what it's supposed to be. There are a whole lot
of different kinds of music that are around and present. They're not viable and not accessible and so, to a large
degree they don't exist. It's like the tree that falls in the
forest. You know that it falls and does make a sound,
because, physically any thing that moves through the air
and hits an object makes a sound. But, if you don't hear it
then it's debatable if it made a sound. So, the point is if
there's no outlet for the music on radio, how do you hear it?
And to Bill Smith, who is an ironworker, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania it doesn't exist, because he can't hear it.
There's no place for him to hear it.

Radio

It's a highly political landscape. Radio used to be a place to hear new and exciting things and it used to be a place to discover new artists and musical styles, but now giant conglomerates that play music designed for specific purposes own Radio. It
has become like a show room for new manufactured product. The attitude is not just prevalent in radio. We're dealing with philosophical exchanges that run rampant and run deep. The condition of art is in a vulnerable and sad state. So much so, that those things that are associated with art have a hard
time finding a viable place. It's because, art doesn't have the same reverence it used to. People don't have respect for life how could they have a respect for art? Humans make Art. If
you don't have a respect for humans how can you respect
what a human does?

JazzOverSeas

Jazz is indigenous to the United States. It is a part of Black heritage. When someone from here plays flamingo guitar or flamingo music. They can do it pretty well they can emulate
all those things that happen. I have a piece of music that
I've written that is emulation or at least my take on
Spanish music.

I think that once you go to Europe you have a very good emulation of what jazz music is and there'll be some people in the audience that will say it sounds better than jazz music in the United States. That could be so, but the point of the matter is that the music is from here and it's part of my heritage. When I play it. I'm not playing it because I listened to some record. When I hear somebody play drums from France
or whatever they might be good and sound great. It's a great emulation of what it is. Some of the musician's influences may have been Art Blakey, Max Roach, Tony Williams, and Elvin
Jones. The fact of the matter is I spoke with those people.
I just saw Roy Haynes last night at his 78th birthday and he
was playing and sounding like he was 38 years old. This man is incredible. But, the fact of the matter is he helped create jazz music, so the music is in him and it's part of his heritage and a part of my heritage. So it's a little bit different. But, when you
go over to Germany, France, or Spain and you play this music and you come from the United States, they have a real appreciation for it, because it's music that comes from here that they're playing it in most of those countries. And it's like
an import. It's great! It's like having authentic flamingo dancers come and perform in the U.S. and you say that's great.

I have a problem with the feeling that jazz is the world's music. OK all of that is good, but it came from here and it came from Black people and don't forget it!