11/11/2025
Michael White’s White Night hides some serious gems beneath its sleek fusion surface. The album’s pedigree alone should make any crate digger stop in their tracks. It’s packed to the brim with heavy hitters behind the boards and in the booth. Produced by Wayne Henderson, best known as a founding member of The Crusaders, and executive produced by Don Mizell (cousin to the legendary Mizell Brothers), this record carries serious jazz-funk lineage.
Mizell’s touch connects White Night to a 50-year legacy of landmark albums from Donald Byrd’s Steppin’ Into Tomorrow (which even features a poem by Mizell on the back cover) to countless other soul-jazz classics. If you see a record with “Mizell” on it, pick it up.
On drums, the foundation for groove couldn’t be stronger. James Gadson, one of the most recorded drummers in history is laying the funk heavy on this album. From the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band to Beck, and countless others, Gadson’s feel defines a generation of rhythm. Bobby Lyle brings his smooth yet fiery touch on keys, while Jim Gilstrap and Angela Winbush (of René & Angela) elevate the background vocals with soul and precision.
White Night is more than just a jazz-funk record, it’s a snapshot of an era when the L.A. session scene was at its creative peak, blending technical mastery with unshakable groove.
