Accompanying Peter for these shows was keyboardist Greg Karukas, a local favorite. He’s a hometown guy from the DC/MD area who has made a name and career for himself. We’re proud to call him one of ours. Also with Peter was up and coming young saxophonist Vincent Ingala, just starting to make his name in the smooth jazz genre. This would be my first time seeing Vincent perform so I was excited about that.
The band was rounded out by the killer rhythm section of David Dyson on bass, and Chris “Biscuit” Bynum on the drums; two more amazing talents from the DC/MD area.
Peter White opened with “Promenade,” which over the years has proved to be one of his more popular tunes. It’s hard to speak of the popularity of some PW songs over others because he has been giving us such great music for over 20 years. And because he’s been doing this so well for so long, his playing appears effortless. The audience sang along to his guitar when he played “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “Who’s That Lady,” and “My Cherie Amour.” And Vincent Ingala sang along too. Who knew he could sing as well as play? What a talent!
The audience heard many of our favorite PW songs that night, both old and new, and everything in between: “Autumn Day,” “Caravan of Dreams,” and “Bright,” which celebrates the great Wayman Tisdale. On “Here We Go,” we got a chance to see Vincent Ingala shine. I like the chemistry and the energy that Vincent has with Peter. The saxophone part of this song was written exclusively with the great sax legend David Sanborn in mind, and Ingala did a fantastic job with it. Vincent Ingala is just starting to make his way in this genre, and judging from what I heard that night, I expect him to go far. It’s exciting to see young performers make their way up to this level and watch as their stars rise. We watch them get better as they go along, perfecting their craft and learning the art of performance.
One of the highlights of the night for me was Greg Karukas playing his hit “Lady in the Red Dress.” This extended version made the audience roar and received thunderous applause. Another standout for me was PW’s “Costa Rica,” from his latest release Here We Go. I love this song on the CD; I love the live version even more. It had me dancing in my seat. (What can I say, I’m a sucker for a good beat, and the samba rhythms on this are infectious.) And “Bueno Funk,” always, always the show stopper at a Peter White concert.
He closed the show with a wonderful rendition of “San Diego,” yet another classic and favorite Peter White tune. What a great show it was!
It doesn’t matter if he’s playing a large or a small venue. The effect is always the same. Peter could play bigger venues, and he does, but I really enjoy seeing him play the smaller, more intimate venues like Blues Alley. Last year when he played here, it was drummer Chris Bynum’s first time playing with Peter, and he remarked how amazing it was to him that PW’s playing had the audience in the palm of his hand. I concur. And that’s it in a nutshell. That’s the beauty of Peter White’s playing. That’s the secret of his music. He wraps us up in his music and we are enveloped. We are deep within the songs he plays and we love it. He does this better than most. Think about this the next time you hear a Peter White song.