Vincent Herring

Playing alto saxophone with a rich, resonant sound and a flair for fusing lively blues-rooted acoustic jazz with intricate harmonic concepts, Vincent Herring emerges as a creative improviser. His early admiration for Cannonball Adderley aligns naturally with the late-1980s breakthrough he achieved next to cornetist Nat Adderley. Herring has stayed an active guardian of the hard bop legacy, sharing stages with such figures as Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Phil Woods, and the Mingus Big Band. In his own projects he has moved from forceful acoustic outings such as 1989’s Scene One with Jack DeJohnette and 2004’s Mr. Wizard with Jeremy Pelt to earthy funk ventures like 2010’s Morning Star, as well as spirited collaborations including 2012’s Friendly Fire: Live at Smoke alongside saxophonist Eric Alexander. Underscoring his devotion to jazz lineage, he marked Charlie Parker’s centennial in 2019 with the live album Bird at 100, and in 2021 he returned to polished small-group playing on Preaching to the Choir.

Herring entered the world in Kentucky in 1964 and relocated with his mother to Vallejo, California, after his parents separated. Around age eleven he took up the saxophone in school ensembles and private instruction. At sixteen he received a scholarship to California State University, Chico. After one year there he enlisted with the United States Military Academy band the Jazz Knights and moved to West Point. In the early 1980s, once his service ended, Herring settled in New York City and continued his training at Long Island University.

Leaving campus, he secured his first major touring position with the Lionel Hampton Big Band. That association drew the notice of cornetist Nat Adderley, with whom Herring spent nearly ten years touring and recording, first appearing on 1989’s We Remember Cannon. Alongside Adderley he also worked with Cedar Walton, John Hicks, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, and additional esteemed musicians.

Herring launched his recording career as a leader in 1989 with Scene One. Made just before his time with Adderley, the session showcased the saxophonist in an intense acoustic setting supported by pianist Darrell Grant, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Further acclaimed releases followed, among them 1990’s American Experience, 1993’s Secret Love, 1994’s Days of Wine and Roses, and 1999’s Jobim for Lovers, which explored bossa nova. Throughout the 1990s he also contributed to albums by Phil Woods, Carl Allen, Louis Smith, the Mingus Big Band, and others.

From the 2000s onward Herring cultivated a steady partnership with HighNote Records, issuing discs such as 2001’s Simple Pleasure, 2004’s Mr. Wizard, and 2006’s Ends and Means. The concert recording Live at Smoke appeared in 2007. In 2010 he released Morning Star, the third chapter of his funk-jazz Earth Jazz series, joined by Anthony Wonsey, Richie Goods, and Jordi Dudli. He next teamed with saxophonist Eric Alexander for 2012’s Friendly Fire: Live at Smoke. In 2017 Herring issued Hard Times, captured once more at Smoke in New York City and featuring Nicolas Bearde, Russell Malone, Steve Turre, Brad Mason, and Sam Dillon.

Additional Smoke sessions followed, among them 2019’s Bird at 100, where he celebrated Charlie Parker’s centennial with fellow saxophonists Bobby Watson and Gary Bartz. In 2021 Herring presented the soulful quartet album Preaching to the Choir, supported by pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Johnathan Blake.