Smooth Jazz Guitarist Peter White and Saxophone Journeyman Euge Groove present White Hot Summer Grooves in Ponte Vedra

May 30, 2017 Steven Neff USA

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (May 30, 2017) — On Wednesday, August 23, 2017 the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall will welcome smooth jazz guitarist Peter White and saxophone Euge Groove as together they present White Hot Summer Grooves live in concert.

Over the years, Peter White has maintained a reputation as one of the most versatile and prolific acoustic guitarists on the contemporary jazz landscape. Armed with an unparalleled combination of lyricism and energy, White combines elements of jazz, pop and classical guitar to create a sound that is singular and at the same time accessible to a broad audience.

Born in 1954 in Luton, a small town north of London, White and his family moved to nearby Letchworth shortly after he was born. As a child, he learned to play several musical instruments, including the clarinet, trombone, violin and piano but gravitated toward the guitar. He learned his first chords on an acoustic guitar, then bought his first electric guitar in his early teens and studied the recordings of the reigning guitar gods of the day – Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. However, his electric guitar was soon thereafter destroyed in an accidental fire. Forced to go acoustic, White’s interests shifted more toward the music of acoustic artists like Crosby, Stills and Nash, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. Plugged or unplugged, White decided by his late teens that music was his calling and his first professional gig was at a holiday resort in England when he was 19 years old. Barely a year later, White was invited to join Al Stewart’s touring band as keyboardist in 1975. In addition to opening for artists like Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel and Queen, White worked with Stewart in the studio in the making of Year of the Cat, which became a huge hit for Stewart in 1976. The tour and the album marked the beginning of a 20-year association with Stewart.

After 15 years as a backup musician and a session player, White launched his solo recording career with the 1990 release of Reveillez-Vous (French for “Wake up,” a title chosen by White in honor of his French mother). The album included several unused songs that White had written for Stewart, and it became a favorite among contemporary jazz radio stations. White followed with a slew of record releases throughout the ‘90s and beyond including Caravan of Dreams (1996), A Peter White Christmas (2007), Good Day (2009), Here We Go (2012), Smile (2014) and most recently Groovin’ (2016).

Euge Groove – a pseudonym for saxophone journeyman Steve Grove – began playing piano in the second grade and turned to the saxophone at the age of nine or 10. His teacher gave him a classical education on the instrument, which he followed at the University of Miami’s School of Music, where he became interested in jazz. Upon graduation, he initially remained in Miami doing sessions and playing in bands such as Expose, where he can be heard on the group’s 1987 #1 single “Seasons Change.” He then moved to Los Angeles and joined Tower of Power, remaining with the group about four years. Following this experience, he freelanced, doing session sand working in backup bands, his clients including Joe Cocker, Eurythmics, Huey Lewis & The News, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and more. At the end of the ‘90s, Grove developed the persona of Euge Groove, a corruption of his real name, and recorded a demo that attracted the attention of various labels. This demo soon landed him with Warner Bros. Records. Euge Groove, his debut album, was released in May 2000. He followed up with 2002’s Play Date, featuring the singles “Slam Dunk” and “Rewind.” In 2004, Grove released the ’70s pop-soul-inflected Livin’ Large. Grove stuck with the ’70s vibe for 2005’s Feels Just Right and then incorporated a more gospel approach for 2007’s Born 2 Groove. He released Sunday Morning in 2009 and in 2011, Grove returned with his seventh studio effort, the fittingly titled Seven Large. He followed with 2012’s House of Groove and 2014’s Got 2 B Groovin’.

Tickets for White Hot Summer Grooves featuring Peter White and Euge Groove will go on sale this Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and St. Augustine Amphitheatre Box Offices, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

SHOW: White Hot Summer Grooves featuring Peter White and Euge Groove
DATE: Wednesday, August 23, 2017
TIME: Doors 6:30p.m. / Show 7:30p.m.
TICKET PRICE: $73.00 – Rows A through E
$63.00 – Rows F through M
$53.00 – All remaining rows

WEBSITES: www.eugegroove.com; www.peterwhite.com; www.pvconcerthall.com

Steven Neff
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