There's no avoiding the hard times. Every human being that's
walked this Earth has had his or her share of the blues, from the personal to
the political, the local to the global. But with another ominous headline
coming every day, with news alerts constantly erupting from our various
devices, with social media facilitating vitriolic shouting matches between
friends and strangers alike, it's not too much of a stretch to say that our
present era offers more than its fair share of challenges and burdens.
Vincent Herring doesn't have the answers to those issues any
more than the rest of us. What he can offer is a tonic to help calm the
turbulence of modern life, at least for an hour. With Hard Times, his third
release for Smoke Sessions Records, the master saxophonist supplies the perfect
musical response to our troubled existence--part escape, part defiance; part
lament, part laughter. Over the course of these 11 songs, Herring and his
stellar band both sing the blues and shake them off in ways both healing and
infectious.
Due out November 3, Hard Times arrives just in time to serve
as a fiercely swinging distraction for the first anniversary of last year's
dark election day. Herring has convened his own boisterous and soulful cabinet
for the occasion, featuring a core quartet with pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist
Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Carl Allen. Herring's conception of the project
evolved along with the tumultuous year as he was joined by Nakamura and Allen
for two sets every Monday at Smoke for six months.
The band is bolstered on roughly half the tracks by the horn
section of trumpeter Brad Mason, saxophonist Sam Dillon, and trombone virtuoso
(and Smoke Sessions labelmate) Steve Turre. Guitar great Russell Malone casts
his spell over three tracks, while the rich baritone of renowned vocalist
Nicolas Bearde also graces three tunes.
Though Herring was going through a rough patch in his
personal life at the time of the recording, he had a much more wide-ranging
vision in mind for Hard Times. "It's the theme of the times that we're
going through," he explained, pointing out that, at the time of this
writing, the possibility of nuclear war suddenly seemed very possible thanks to
the bluster of saber-rattling world leaders - including America's own. (Substitute
any one of what will surely be another dozen provocations current when you read
this.)
"The obvious red elephant in the room would be
politics," Herring continued. "So it's hard times not necessarily
just from my vantage point, but from looking at world events. At the same time,
I do realize how blessed and fortunate I am to be living the life I'm living. I
have a lot of real fans that support me and a lot of great people in my life; I
have wonderful kids. This album will hit people in different ways, but I offer
it as an uplifting piece for the hard times in the universe."
Indeed, it's difficult to worry too much about the fate of
the world when Nakamura and Allen lock into the deep-rooted groove of
"Hard Work," the John Handy classic that opens the album. The song
was a hit for Handy in 1976, just as Herring was learning to play the sax, so
it provided a jolt of nostalgia along with its work song vibe. "I really
wanted something simple like that," Herring says, "a song that meant
something to me from my childhood." Released a few years later but no less
influential, George Coleman's "Amsterdam After Dark" prompts intense
solo turns from Herring and Turre, who spar vividly in its closing moments.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Katz
Learning to embrace your troubles is the theme of Bill
Withers' "Use Me," on which Bearde captures the allure of a
relationship that may not appear exactly healthy from the outside. Bearde also
illuminates the sultry atmosphere of "Summertime," the familiar
standard transformed via an arrangement by Takahiro Izumikawa, who collaborated
with Herring throughout the album. Izumikawa also gives another favorite,
"Embraceable You," a contemporary twist.
The album takes its title from David "Fathead"
Newman's "Hard Times," which perfectly embodies Herring's theme of
finding things to celebrate in the face of daunting obstacles. Herring shared
the stage with Newman for the legendary Ray Charles sideman's final performance
at Lincoln Center prior to his passing in 2009.
Herring calls the late pianist Mulgrew Miller
"everything from a friend to a mentor to my boss at William Paterson
University," so the inclusion of "Eastern Joy Dance" is as much
a moving tribute as it is a reprisal of a powerful composition. "Good
Morning Heartache" also harkens back to one of Herring's mentors, the
great Nat Adderley, while Donald Brown's "Phineas" closes the album
on a soothing, lyrical note.
In addition to these classics, two tunes originate within
the ranks of the band. The leader himself penned "The Sun Will Rise
Again," its instantly memorable melody evoking gorgeous playing from
Malone. Herring and Allen originally recorded the drummer's lively
"Piccadilly Square" together in 1989, with trumpet icon Freddie
Hubbard sitting in. "We'd been recording before Freddie got there and
patting ourselves on the back," Herring recalls. "I'll never forget,
Freddie took his horn out just to warm up and scared us to death. He was so
amazing. I've always wanted to revisit that song, so this was the perfect opportunity
to do so."
The selection of repertoire for Hard Times came down to a
single principle: these are quite simply songs that Herring has loved over the
years and have seen him through his own hard times--and he hopes his renditions
will do the same for listeners. "All through my life, whenever I've had
ups and downs, music has been the one thing that's always kept it positive for
me," he says. "It's always been something that I could come back to
and dig into to lift my spirits. This record is meant to be fun, it's meant to
be uplifting, it's meant to be something that people will want to listen to
over and over again."
"Hard Times" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon
Smith and recorded
live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom
console
at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape using a
Studer mastering deck.
Available in audiophile HD format.
Vincent Herring Album Release Performances:
November 3-5 | Smoke Jazz Club | New York, NY
Vincent Herring · Hard Times
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: November 3, 2017
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