Black Collegian News & Views

Many Xavier (Xavier University of Louisiana) students may not be aware that their professors lead exciting lives outside of Xavier’s campus.  What they find may surprise them - particularly in the case of Xavier alumnus Dr. Michael G. White, Professor of Spanish and Instructor of Music, who has not only taught at the university for 20 years, but is also a renowned jazz musician.

White released his fifth CD, A Song for George Lewis, on April 20, preceding his JazzFest performance in tribute to the late musician.  “He was the first great reed player,” said White, in an over-the-phone interview, of the saxophonist and clarinetist.  “His clarinet sounded like it was singing.  It sounded like a story—a story I could relate to.  It sounded like the voice of my people.”

White grew up attending Xavier functions with his mother, aunt and uncle who all attended the university.  He began teaching part-time in 1980 and started full-time the following year.

White has played the clarinet since he was 14.  However, he did not play traditional jazz until he was 21.  “I wasn’t serious about music at the time,” said the former member of the St. Augustine High School Marching 100.  “I enjoyed it but was not interested in it at the time. It’s easy to grow up in New Orleans without knowing the history and tradition.”

White said that New Orleans traditional jazz was almost lost to him.  He discovered his liking for the traditional style during his undergraduate studies at Xavier when  “A friend brought over traditional brass band records,” he said.  The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival also moved him. It was there that was able to see many traditional jazz artists such as Willie Humphrey, Paul Barns and others perform live.

“I liked the way they all sounded different,” White said.

White joined the Musician’s Union, where he gained association with many mentors who became friends and sometimes band mates.  “I learned as much there as I learned in school,” he said.

White also met Doc Polain and told the musician if he ever needed a hand to give him a call.  White then found himself performing in church and club parades, second lines and jazz funerals while studying at Tulane, earning a degree in Spanish language and literature.

White not only teaches Spanish, but he also uses the discipline of learning a different language to help him with music.  “They’re very much alike (Spanish and jazz),” he said.  “Because music is a language.  You have to be spontaneous in jazz.  You have to be expressive, and Spanish is a very expressive language.”

That knowledge may have also helped White in other ways as he traveled to more than two-dozen foreign countries.  He said teaching at Xavier, and playing venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Newport Jazz Festival and the Lincoln Center, is like being in two different worlds.  “It reminds me of the first Indiana Jones movie, being in the classroom and then going out in the world,” he said.  “It’s a good experience because it’s history and legacy" (of New Orleans.)

White has played on more than 20 albums, one of which won a Grammy for the group Beausoleil in the category of folk music in 1997.  “It’s ironic because it wasn’t jazz,” notes White.

He has also played on a wide range of albums including four with Wynton Marsalis, four with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

White reflects on George Lewis’ influence on jazz as he prepares for his JazzFest performance.

“He not only changed my life, but he was a leading name in jazz in the 1940s and 1950s,” White said.  “Because of him, a lot of European jazz musicians play.  Their playing styles were influenced by his style.

“I realized I played with surviving members of his band.  My relatives played with him.  I found a very special tradition created by my ancestors.  It presents a life-long challenge of coming to their level.  I got to see other lights in the world.…  It’s like being Superman and Clark Kent.”

TaKeshia Brooks is a Junior at Xavier University. She currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Xavier Herald.