A soulful improviser, alto saxophonist
Vincent Herring plays with a warm, throaty tone and an ear for combining swinging, blues-based acoustic jazz with advanced harmonic ideas. Fittingly, given the early influence saxophonist
Cannonball Adderley had on
Herring, it makes sense that he first came to prominence alongside cornet player
Nat Adderley in the late 1980s. He has remained a vital proponent for carrying forward the hard bop tradition and has played with luminaries like
Freddie Hubbard,
Art Blakey,
Phil Woods, and the
Mingus Big Band. As a leader, his albums flow from hard-hitting acoustic dates like 1989's Scene One with
Jack DeJohnette and 2004's
Mr. Wizard with
Jeremy Pelt to organic funk explorations like 2010's Morning Star, as well as bold team-up's like 2012's
Friendly Fire: Live at Smoke with saxophonist
Eric Alexander. As further evidence of his dedication to the jazz tradition,
Herring marked
Charlie Parker's centennial birthday in 2019 with the live album Bird at 100, and in 2021, he returned to his adept small group work with
Preaching to the Choir.
Born in Kentucky in 1964,
Herring grew up in Vallejo, California, where he moved with his mother after his parents divorced. It was there, around age 11, that he first picked up the saxophone, playing in school band and taking private lessons. By age 16, he had earned a scholarship to study at California State University, Chico. After a year at CSUC, he joined the United States Military Academy band the Jazz Knights and relocated to West Point. In the early '80s, after his tour was up,
Herring moved to New York City and furthered his studies at Long Island University.
Upon leaving school, he scored his first professional touring job with
the Lionel Hampton Big Band. It was during this period that he caught the attention of cornetist
Nat Adderley, and spent close to a decade touring and recording as a member of
Adderley's group, debuting on 1989's
We Remember Cannon. Along with
Adderley, he also performed with such highly respected artists as
Cedar Walton,
John Hicks,
Freddie Hubbard,
Horace Silver,
Art Blakey, and many more.
As a leader,
Herring debuted in 1989 with Scene One. Recorded just prior to joining up with
Adderley, the album featured the saxophonist in a high-energy date backed by pianist
Darrell Grant, bassist
Robert Hurst, and drummer
Jack DeJohnette. More well-received albums followed, including 1990's
American Experience, 1993's
Secret Love, 1994's Days of Wine and Roses, and 1999's bossa nova-themed Jobim for Lovers. During the '90s, he also appeared on albums by
Phil Woods,
Carl Allen,
Louis Smith, the
Mingus Big Band, and others.
Beginning in the 2000s, he formed a productive relationship with the HighNote label, delivering albums like 2001's
Simple Pleasure, 2004's
Mr. Wizard, and 2006's
Ends and Means. The concert album
Live at Smoke appeared in 2007. In 2010, he delivered the third installment of his funk-jazz-influenced
Earth Jazz project, Morning Star, with
Anthony Wonsey,
Richie Goods, and
Jordi Dudli. He then paired with fellow saxophone giant
Eric Alexander for 2012's
Friendly Fire: Live at Smoke. In 2017,
Herring released
Hard Times, recorded once again at Smoke in New York City, and featuring
Nicolas Bearde,
Russell Malone,
Steve Turre,
Brad Mason, and
Sam Dillon.
More Smoke Sessions followed, including 2019's Bird at 100, which found him celebrating
Charlie Parker's centennial alongside fellow saxophonists
Bobby Watson and
Gary Bartz. In 2021,
Herring delivered the soulful quartet date
Preaching to the Choir with pianist
Cyrus Chestnut, bassist
Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer
Johnathan Blake. ~ Matt Collar