A Peter White Christmas featuring Rick Braun and Mindi Abair

Peter White is back again with everyone’s favorite holiday show this December, featuring a fusion of jazz, pop, and classical interpretations of Christmas classics. An accomplished session musician with over forty years of experience, Peter White has made a name for himself as one of the most versatile contemporary jazz musicians in the industry. For his memorable holiday special, White appears alongside Rick Braun and Mindi Abair, performing some of the most recognizable and beloved Christmas songs, from “The Little Drummer Boy” to “Greensleeves.”

Interested in music at an early age, Peter White experimented with a number of instruments from the clarinet to the violin before finding his calling in the guitar. White was initially inspired by the early success of major rock groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and developed a passion for the electric guitar. When an accidental fire destroyed his electric, Peter picked up the acoustic and never looked back. Drawing upon the recordings of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby Stills and Nash for inspiration, Peter White developed his skills on the acoustic guitar and earned his first professional gig at the age of 19. At the age of 21, White was invited to join folk singer-songwriter Al Stewart’s band as a keyboardist during their tour through England, Scotland, and the United States. On this tour, White had the opportunity to open for a number of major artists including Billy Joel, Queen, and Linda Ronstadt. Peter White and Al Stewart’s collaboration led to the major hit of 1976 “Year of the Cat.”

Joining Peter White for A Peter White Christmas are jazz musicians Rick Braun and Mindi Abair. A multi-instrumentalist and smooth trumpet player, Rick Braun began his career playing as a session musician for several bands. Braun has released over 15 albums in his career, including a Christmas album entitled Swingin’ in the Snow. Peter White’s long-time collaborator, Mindi Abair, is an accomplished saxophonist and vocalist who has toured with some of the most successful recording artists of all time, including Duran Duran, The Backstreet Boys, and Aerosmith, to name a few. Her latest album, Wild Heart, featured guest recordings by Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, and Booker T. Jones. In A Peter White Christmas, Abair will be performing some songs from her Wild Heart as well as some holiday favorites, such as “Silent Night” and “White Christmas.”

In 1990, Peter White broke away from his position in Al Stewart’s band as a session guitarist and embarked on his own solo career. White enjoyed immediate success with the release of his first album, Reveillez-Vous, which incorporated several unused songs written previously during his collaboration with Stewart. In 1996, Peter White signed on with Columbia Records to produce his next album entitled Caravan of Dreams. With these first two major hit albums, White had made a name for himself in the contemporary jazz scene. Now, with over 13 solo albums to his name, Peter White has just completed his latest album, Here We Go, which marks White’s first recording with the legendary saxophonist David Sanborn. As a solo artist, Peter White has toured around the world, appearing in venues from performing arts centers to cozy nightclubs. Inspired by the success of his holiday albums Songs of the Season and A Peter White Christmas, White has designed his very own Peter White Christmas Tour, featuring the musician’s unique takes on traditional holiday tunes.