Albert White - The Definitive Albert White (2025)

A major part of the Music Maker family for nearly thirty years, Albert White plays guitar with casual intensity, bouncing seamlessly between lead and rhythm. Listen to him solo on the swampy “River’s Invitation,” the centerpiece of his new album, The Definitive Albert White: He plays against the song’s rhythm as though he’s swimming against a mighty undertow, then dismantles the song’s melody with disarming eloquence. It’s the mark of a virtuoso who’s been refining and redefining his own personal style—the thrust of the blues mixed with r&b’s boundless energy—for more than seven decades. He developed this sound first with his uncle, the legendary Piano Red, then worked it out on the college circuit in the ‘60s and ‘70s before performing alongside Ray Charles, Ben E. King, Joe Tex, and countless others. White is an intuitive sideman, but this lively collection showcases one of his best assets: a deep, expressive voice that’s conversational yet soulful, blues-burdened yet agile. When he sings Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” he conveys both the bone-deep excitement of a man looking forward to future full of love and happiness.