The eighth solo effort for guitarist Peter White, Glow (Columbia 85212; 48:40), takes a while to develop its luminosity. For the first half of the album, as White works out his gentle, pretty Latin-jazzy licks, the slick, stylized arrangements do their best to snuff his flame. A light, sparkling walk sanitizes the chestnut “Who’s That Lady,” despite White’s needling fretwork, for example, and a boring groove saps “Just My Imagination” of its soulful vibrance. Thankfully, things pick up with track six-a stately, skeletal Latin arrangement titled “Bueno Funk” that brings out White’s edgy, darker side. Other highlights include “Life Story,” a meditative, graceful piece that cuts to the heart with White’s flamenco chops at work, and “Pedro Bianco,” a bubbling, spirited Latin dance buoyed by sputtering horns. In the right setting, the guitarist’s uncommonly detailed, meditative guitar work burns hot and bright.
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