Vincent Herring

[Tom 1960]

He plays on the Brian Lynch album "Unsung Heroes" as a "special invited guest". Like what I'm hearing. Any specific albums I should be looking for? This one has garnered some positive reviews:

Simple Pleasure

[Tom 1960]

I figured I would bump this topic one time. While I had a good number of views, no responses received to date. Reading his bio his playing is highly influenced by his idol Cannonball Adderely. That can't be a bad thing? The samples sure sounded good from the album I posted on above.

[Hot Ptah]

I have his Folklore, Evidence, Dawnbird, American Experience, and Secret Love. All are quite good. They are all high quality mainstream albums with solid soloing and excellent groups.

Edited July 24, 2011 by Hot Ptah

[Jim R]

Good solid player, although perhaps not the most in terms of personality and style, to my ears. I don't have any of his own titles, but have him as a sideman with Louis Smith (Steeplechase) and Cedar Walton (HighNote). Recording with those two (and no doubt others), he must be doing something right.

[Larry Kart]

I figured I would bump this topic one time. While I had a good number of views, no responses received to date. Reading his bio his playing is highly influenced by his idol Cannonball Adderely. That can't be a bad thing? The samples sure sounded good from the album I posted on above.

I have mixed feelings about Cannonball's playiing (like some a lot, like much of it much less), but be that as it may, surely he's a player who's musical fingerprint is so indelible as to be a dubious influence, as say IMO Dizzy was on Jon Faddis.

[JSngry]

The difference being that we have no recordings of Twain's voice (do we?), and even if we did..his true voice was in his prose, so we really do have a record.

Having said that, if I can accept the premise that jazz is more and more becoming a repertory music in terms of "style" even more than in the types of material performed (and as I do come to accept that, the less and less I hold an interest in it), then it's all good. Mr. Herring has certainly toiled hard to learn his craft and has the results to show for it. What he doesn't have is a truly distinctive voice. But if that's not the point, then there's no complaint to be made.

[paul secor]

The difference being that we have no recordings of Twain's voice (do we?), and even if we did..his true voice was in his prose, so we really do have a record.

Having said that, if I can accept the premise that jazz is more and more becoming a repertory music in terms of "style" even more than in the types of material performed (and as I do come to accept that, the less and less I hold an interest in it), then it's all good. Mr. Herring has certainly toiled hard to learn his craft and has the results to show for it. What he doesn't have is a truly distinctive voice. But if that's not the point, then there's no complaint to be made.

An answer to the existence of recordings of Mark Twian's voice: http://www.telecomtally.com/blog/2006/02/how_did_mark_tw.html

From that site: About a recording of his voice, there is nothing extent that is without doubt a recording of his voice. Thomas Edison did record Twain's voice but those recoding were lost in a fire. Rumors of other recordings come up from time to time but nothing has ever been verified. A recording at Yale is generally thought to be that of a mimic who perhaps knew Twain. The simplest answer is that there are no recordings of Twain's voice.

edit - There may be a more authoritative answer out there somewhere.

Edited July 24, 2011 by paul secor

[Chuck Nessa]

Jazz has been in the process of morphing from a living thing to a style for a while.

[MomsMobley]

pickled herring >>>> vincent herring... watch or re-re-re-re-re-re-watch MONKEY BUSINESS and tell me different.

even thinking about vincent herring's "creativity" makes my head hurt

anyone remember mid-'90s player piano Gershwin craze?

at least that was WEIRD.

***

you should watch James Earl Jones in ROBESON

http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/B0006SSQ1G

is it possible internet so ig'nant there are no clips on youtube et al

i can't find any

The difference being that we have no recordings of Twain's voice (do we?), and even if we did..his true voice was in his prose, so we really do have a record.

Having said that, if I can accept the premise that jazz is more and more becoming a repertory music in terms of "style" even more than in the types of material performed (and as I do come to accept that, the less and less I hold an interest in it), then it's all good. Mr. Herring has certainly toiled hard to learn his craft and has the results to show for it. What he doesn't have is a truly distinctive voice. But if that's not the point, then there's no complaint to be made.

An answer to the existence of recordings of Mark Twian's voice: http://www.telecomtally.com/blog/2006/02/how_did_mark_tw.html

From that site: About a recording of his voice, there is nothing extent that is without doubt a recording of his voice. Thomas Edison did record Twain's voice but those recoding were lost in a fire. Rumors of other recordings come up from time to time but nothing has ever been verified. A recording at Yale is generally thought to be that of a mimic who perhaps knew Twain. The simplest answer is that there are no recordings of Twain's voice.

edit - There may be a more authoritative answer out there somewhere.

Edited July 25, 2011 by MomsMobley

[felser]

I like Herring's Landmark recordings, and he is a dependable sideman. He is not an innovator in any sense, but is very capable and uppretentious, and I enjoy his work.

[marcello]

I was going to hold my opinion to myself since Tom asked for recommendations but...

I have to say that I find Herring's playing at his very best predictable and at his worst, just plain role playing/boring.

He's a graduate of West Point I believe, so draw your own conclusions.

[Hot Ptah]

I agree that Herring is not an innovator and has not developed a creative stylistic breakthrough. He is a capable craftsman, and releases more listenable albums than some other capable craftsmen who are not particularly creative. Jazz has always had the solid sidemen, in every era. If you are OK with that, you may like Herring's albums for what they are. I don't think he deserves scorn, any more than many other regularly recorded saxophonists of the past 60 years who were not innovators. But if you come to his music with the thought that Coltrane/Hodges/Rollins/Ornette is the only standard to use when listening to a saxophone album, then he will surely fall very short. But then we would have about ten recorded jazz artists in every decade, if that was the standard.

[A Lark Ascending]

Enjoyed him very much live in the context of the Mingus BB.

I have a couple of his albums - enjoyable but they don't rush back to the CD player.

Edited July 25, 2011 by A Lark Ascending

[John Tapscott]

I have a couple of his albums - enjoyable but they don't rush back to the CD player.

That's just about how I feel, too. Vincent's OK, but there are other alto players in the genre I am more drawn to. Jesse Davis comes to mind.

Having said that, this one is quite nice, if it can be found.

This one's OK, too.

Edited July 25, 2011 by John Tapscott

[Tom 1960]

Having little to go on with exception of the Brian Lynch album "Unsung Heroes" which Herring plays on, I figured it might be worth finding out what others felt. Thanks for your thoughts guys both pro and con.