Jimmy Herring
(Abstract Logix)
Defining the parameters for Jazz can be an elusive exercise at best. Ever since the arrival of Fusion in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s, and more recently, the advent of the so-called Smooth Jazz sound, real Jazz - traditional Jazz - music built on improvisational interplay, seems to have been sacrificed on a burning pyre of commercial concerns.
Jimmy Herring may not swing the pendulum back to those old school precepts, if for no other reason than the fact he's honed his skills within a rock regimen. Still, his resume is littered with bands that inhabit a progressive tier - beginning with his apprenticeship in Col. Bruce Hampton's Aquarium Rescue Unit and followed by weightier associations with the Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, the Dead and their more recent offshoots. It seems apt then that Lifeboat provides a well-fueled vehicle for Herring's more daring designs, as well as his ability to transcend style through his articulate instrumental prowess.
Indeed, Herring's fluid fretwork and compositional craft find much in common with crossover artists like Lee Ritenour, George Benson and Jeff Beck, players whose work dazzles, but never at the threat of intimidating their listeners. Not surprisingly then, Herring's song selection becomes a tableau of shifting emotions, fluid rhythms and makeshift modes. A take on Disney's "Jungle Book Overture" may seem unlikely in theory, but its exotic set-up fits just fine with Herring's original songs. His only other cover, a soaring, sprawling version of Wayne Shorter's "Lost" comes across as only marginally more elusive. On the other hand, just one tune fits the definition of obvious accessibility -- "Lifeboat Serenade," a stately elegiac ballad that might befit Eric Clapton in terms of its sweep and style.
Herring also deserves credit for freely ceding the spotlight. He's assembled an exemplarity ensemble, made up mostly of musicians he's played with in the past - guitarist Derek Trucks, saxophonist Greg Osby, drummer Jeff Sipe, bassist Oteil Burbridge, flautist and pianist Kofi Burbridge and keyboardist Matt Slokum, chief among them. Osby and Kofi share the solos, underscoring the guitar pyrotechnics with their ongoing interplay. "Scrapegoat Blues," "Transients" and "One Strut" reflect that formula, free-spirited, freewheeling jams with driving tempos and seamless extended exchanges. That's the approach that effectively launches this Lifeboat and subsequently keeps it afloat.
Standout tracks: "Lifeboat Serenade," "Jungle Book Overture," " "Scrapegoat Blues" LEE ZIMMERMAN
