Andrew White

By Mark S. Tucker

The CandyRat musicians usually work solo and acoustic, so this electric quartet came as a bit of a surprise. It appears that the label's branching out already. If so, they've made a great choice in Andrew White, who's lyrically and musically a bit like John Martyn. As with the rest of his labelmates, though, White certainly knows what the guitar was made for. There's a back history here, as the guy first appeared, after busking in New Zealand, on the highly uneven Narada label, a New Age imprint perhaps best, and most regrettably, typified by the uber-sachharine David Arkenstone, Yanni's soul brother. White in fact partnered with Arkenstone for their Islands release. Hmmmm.

Since then, he's issued several other CDs, a couple of them instrumental, until deciding to pursue a vocal path. It was good move, though his fans will have to dial back their stringed expectations (nonetheless, the guy is a very daunting player). Vijay Novak wields some great colorative keybords while Steve Gillis (drums) and Shaun Sommer (bass) carry the rhythm section. Nothing roars—would you expect that of the label? It ain't Century Media!—but a fair degree of intensity builds in cuts like Tears of Grace, attaining to an irresistable beat—again, very Martynish. In I Believe, a protestative path is adopted, a cry against tyranny and war, brutality, all of which should be thrown over, the composer makes clear, for the redemptive power of love.

It will be interesting to see how this goes over and whether or not CandyRat has indeed taken White as the staging for a side-splinter effort to begin to capture back some of the territory the charts have been sanitizing rock and roll through. Windham Hill attempted such a divergence and fucked up horribly, bringing the label to ruin...but then, groups like Dots Will Echo were rank amateurs compared to White, so perhaps we're onto something here. If so, and if Walk in Light can break into the charts, it may also help bring wider attention to the instrumental side of the label, killing two musical birds with one stone and upleveling the audience…which is what all art should do.

- Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange

....What they didn’t expect, and what sent them through the roof before intermission, with Plaskett to follow first thing after, was Andrew White. <b>His explosive, in-depth, multiple-voiced, orchestrally coloured, floridly ornamented style, in which one speaks not of phrases but of episodes, sewn together with scale passages as blinding as lightning flashes right between the eyes, staggered the ears while the mind battled with disbelief.</b>

<b>It is no stretch at all to describe White as the Art Tatum of the guitar.</b>

White has roved the world, from Northumberland in England to New Zealand and all the way down to his current holding station in Cape Breton’s Inverness. Of one thing you can be sure — so long as he was able to play guitar, he could never have gone hungry.

White is a two-handed, ten-fingered guitar player who also uses the heel of his hand to get a single guitar to sound like three and a drummer. Hammering on, plucking off with the left hand as he plays notes and chords, throwing in artificial harmonics wherever, with fanatical resourcefulness, he can fit them in; shaking his guitar in the air to make the echoing tone shiver like the Northern Lights — he called on any of these techniques at any given time and all of them in his last tune, which drove the crowd out of its collective (and individual) mind.

His songs were also beautiful and he sang them in a clear, strong voice; tunes about Holy Island off the coast of Northumbria, settled by monks in 486; Martin’s Blues, which gave rise to another of his mind-boggling solo breaks; When Tommy Played Guitar, and a last tune in which he finished with an array of artificial harmonics exploding like a starburst firecracker full of bells.

It became clear long before his encore that White’s brain is hardwired into the guitar. He thinks not in words or images but in guitar sounds. Every aspect of his feeling instantly finds utterance there....
- The Chronicle Herald, by Stephen Pedersen (Arts Reporter)

What others have said……

"White's style is a unique, soulful mix, and his guitar playing is extraordinary." - Rambles Art Magazine, U.K.

"Andrew is a magical writer, listen to him with your heart.” - Tommy Emmanuel

“It is no stretch at all to describe Andrew White as the Art Tatum of the guitar.” - Stephen Pederson, Chronicle Herald, Canada

“Andrew is a truly talented individual. His unique guitar style is a treat to the ears and his melodies and lyrics are infectious.” - Pam Sheyne (Songwriter “Genie in a Bottle” – Christina Aguilera)

"Andrew draws you into his music with lyrics that are both meaningful and at times, deeply personal. His latest recording, “Walk in Light”, allows you to travel in Andrew’s shoes and come out on the other side better for it.” - Rob Poland, Candyrat Records, US
‘White is one of those blessed individuals who combine international-class fingerstyle guitar playing with great vocals and superb song writing, His raw, expressive, high tenor voice combines wonderfully with his gutsy, snappy and yet sophisticated guitar work.’ Ian Melrose - Clannad, Norland Wind
‘Beautifully constructed guitar compositions that will not only inspire other musicians but also embrace the general listener in a warm glow…an aural palate you would associate with a Van Gogh.’- Fyfe on Folk, UK
‘Soulful, modest and technically amazing.’ - Get Rhythm Magazine

‘Whether picking out a dainty traditional melody, tearing into a dirty blues workout, or artfully backing his tautly worded songs, his playing is continually embellished with layers of complementing nuance, both harmonic and textural, his singing is reminiscent of Sting at his darkly evocative best, only with a slightly hoarser, dustier edge.’ - The Scotsman UK - Various