Dr. Michael White Keeps True to the Traditions of New Orleans Jazz

Dr. Michael White is a something of a professional historian when it comes to jazz. With perfect clarity and tune in his clarinet playing, he resurrects and revitalizes the traditional sounds of New Orleans jazz that first arose in the early part of the 20th century. That’s not to say he treats music as a museum piece though. Keeping the past alive, while collaborating on recordings with the likes of Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis and Marianne Faithfull keeps White’s music fresh and alive. White’s sixth album, Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 2, releases on 19 June via the NOLA-based Basing Street Records and features intriguing covers of some rock and country classics, including this take on Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee” made famous by Janis Joplin.