Vincent Herring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vincent Herring
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Herring at Birdland, New York City
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Vincent Dwyne Herring |
| Born | November 19, 1964 Hopkinsville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, educator |
| Instruments | Saxophone, flute |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | Landmark, MusicMasters, HighNote, Smoke Sessions |
| Associated acts | Nat Adderley, Cedar Walton, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Louis Hayes, Eric Alexander |
Vincent Dwyne Herring was born on November 19, 1964. He is an American jazz musician who plays the saxophone and flute. He is also a composer and a teacher. Vincent Herring is known for his exciting and heartfelt playing. He played with famous musicians like Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, and Nat Adderley when he was starting out. Today, he travels the world playing with his own bands and also teaches jazz to students.
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Vincent Herring's Early Life and Music Journey
Vincent Herring was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in the United States. His parents separated, and he moved to California with his mother. When he was 11 years old, he started playing the saxophone in school bands. He also took private lessons at Dean Frederick's School of Music in Vallejo, California. By the age of 16, he earned a music scholarship to California State University, Chico.
A year later, Vincent tried out for the United States Military Academy band, called the Jazz Knights. He got the spot as the lead alto sax player. He then moved to West Point and served in the military for a short time. In 1982, he moved to New York City and went to Long Island University.
Starting His Career in Jazz
Vincent Herring first toured the United States and Europe with the Lionel Hampton Big Band. His amazing talent caught the attention of Nat Adderley. They formed a musical partnership that lasted nine years. During this time, they made nine albums and traveled the world playing music.
After Nat Adderley passed away, Vincent worked with Louis Hayes, who used to play with Cannonball Adderley. They created the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band. Vincent also played and recorded with pianist Cedar Walton for more than 20 years.
He has also performed or recorded with many other jazz legends, including Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Freddie Hubbard, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Barron, and Roy Hargrove. Vincent has also been a special guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center and with The Carnegie Hall Big Band.
His Own Bands and Teaching Music
Vincent Herring has recorded over 20 albums as a band leader. He has also played on more than 250 albums as a sideman (a musician who plays with a main artist). Besides the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Vincent has other music projects. These include Something Else, The Battle with Vincent Herring and Eric Alexander, and Jazz The Story.
He has taken his bands to Japan, Europe, and China many times. He has also played at almost every major jazz festival around the world. Vincent Herring also shares his knowledge by teaching jazz. He is a professor at William Paterson University and Manhattan School of Music. In 2024, he wrote a book about jazz improvisation called Logic and Critical Thinking in Jazz Improvisation. This book teaches his special ideas and ways of improvising in jazz.
Vincent Herring's Music Albums
Albums as a Leader or Co-Leader
- 1989: Scene One (Evidence)
- 1990: American Experience (MusicMasters)
- 1991: Evidence (Landmark)
- 1993: Dawnbird (Landmark)
- 1993: Secret Love (MusicMasters)
- 1994: Folklore: Live at the Village Vanguard (MusicMasters)
- 1994: The Days of Wine & Roses (MusicMasters)
- 1995: Don't Let It Go (MusicMasters)
- 1997: Change the World (MusicMasters)
- 1999: Jobim for Lovers (MusicMasters)
- 2001: Simple Pleasure (HighNote)
- 2001: Burn'in the Blues (Consolidated Artists Productions) with Jeff Palmer, John Abercrombie, Bob Leto
- 2003: All Too Real (HighNote)
- 2004: Mr. Wizard (HighNote)
- 2005: The Battle: Live at Smoke (HighNote)
- 2006: Ends and Means (HighNote)
- 2007: Live at Smoke (SGM)
- 2010: Morning Star (Challenge)
- 2011: Friendly Fire: Live at Smoke (HighNote)
- 2012: In the Spirit of Coltrane and Cannonball (Yanagisawa)
- 2014: The Uptown Shuffle (Smoke Sessions)
- 2015: Night and Day (Smoke Sessions)
- 2017: Hard Times (Smoke Sessions)
- 2019: Bird at 100 (Smoke Sessions)
- 2021: Preaching to the Choir (Smoke Sessions)
- 2024: Soul Jazz (Smoke Sessions)
Albums as a Sideman
Vincent Herring has played on many albums with other musicians. Here are some of them:
- Alto Legacy Alto Summit with Phil Woods (Fantasy)
- Carl Allen Quintet The Pursuer (Atlantic)
- Cedar Walton Composer (Astor Place, 1996)
- Cedar Walton One Flight Down (HighNote, 2006)
- Cedar Walton Seasoned Wood (HighNote, 2008)
- Freddie Hubbard Octet MMTC: Monk, Miles, Trane & Cannon (Musicmasters)
- Freddie Hubbard Sextet Bolivia (Musicmasters)
- Harold Mabern Mabern Plays Mabern (Smoke Sessions)
- John Hicks In the Mix (Landmark)
- Louis Hayes Dreamin of Cannonball (TCB)
- Mingus Big Band Blues & Politics (Dreyfus)
- Nat Adderley Quintet We Remember Cannon (In + Out, 1989)
- Nat Adderley Sextet Autumn Leaves (Sweet Basil, 1990 [1991])
- Steve Turre The Spirits Up Above (HighNote, 2004)
