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John Hébert

John Hébert, bassist, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana where he first began to study double bass with Bill Huntington. John attended Loyola University of New Orleans where he received a full scholarship. After two years of performing with many of New Orleans greatest musicians and performing at various clubs including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival he moved to the New York tri-state area to attend William Paterson University where he continued his studies under bassist, Rufus Reid and received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance.

Since graduating in 1995, John has lived in the New York City area and established himself as a highly sought after bassist. He has worked along side world famous artists such as Andrew Hill, Lee Konitz, Paul Bley, John Abercrombie, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Motian, Joe Maneri, Mary Havorson, Tomasz Stanko, David Liebman, Uri Caine, Greg Osby, Bill Stewart, Marc Copland, Fred Hersch, Toots Thielemans, Maria Schneider, and many others.

In recent years, he has taken on the role of bandleader of various projects. His group Byzantine Monkey, released their first CD in June 2009 on the Firehouse 12 label. It was reviewed in Downbeat and received 4 stars. “On his first album as a leader he displays a sonic vision that’s all his own,” says Peter Margarsak. In 2010, John Hébert Trio released Spiritual Lover on the Clean Feed label to very positive reviews. According to Stuart Broomer, “it’s a trio of genuinely equal parts and plays music of great melodic strength.” In 2011, John formed his Rambling Confessions quartet which has performed at well known clubs such as The Stone and Jazz Gallery.

He is also named in Downbeat’s 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Critics Poll as a “Rising Star Acoustic Bassist.” Most recently in 2011, John won the poll as “Rising Star Acoustic Bassist.” From 2001 until Andrew Hill’s passing in 2007, John worked with Mr. Hill in various ensembles. John is also featured on Andrew Hill’s last Blue Note release, “Time Lines” which was awarded “Record of the Year” by Downbeat’s Jazz Critics Poll in 2006. John has also performed around the world at festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Tampere Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Moers Jazz Festival, Ear Shot Jazz Festival and San Francisco Jazz Festival. He can also be heard in some of New York City’s most renowned venues such as The Village Vanguard, Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Birdland and Iridium.

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Album Review

Dave Liebman: Live at Smalls

Read "Live at Smalls" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Tre ampi brani per un totale che supera di un po' i settanta minuti di musica tirata e vibrante, colta dal vivo nel gennaio 2022 al celebre jazz club newyorchese, compongono questo notevole nuovo lavoro di Dave Liebman, una delle presenze più significative (e incidenti) della scena jazzistica ormai da oltre quarant'anni. Il gruppo protagonista dell'incisione, del resto, è di prima grandezza, a partire dal pirotecnico (ma mai per miracol mostrare, come si suol dire) trombettista Peter Evans, che si ...

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Album Review

Andrew Rathbun: The Speed Of Time

Read "The Speed Of Time" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Not one to avoid concepts and ambitious outings, Andrew Rathbun's to-date masterpiece, The Atwood Suites (Origin Records, 2018), explored the poetry of his countrywoman, writer Margaret Atwood. In 2023, he tackles time. Time is a funny thing. Its perceived speed is malleable. It tends toward an increasing velocity as one moves into middle age and beyond. It can crawl at a snail's pace (during a root canal treatment, for example) and it can race ahead with wild abandon--that ...

Album Review

The Angelica Sanchez Nonet: Nighttime Creatures

Read "Nighttime Creatures" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Pubblicato dalla Pyroclastic Records, Nighttime Creatures è il magistrale debutto del nonet della pianista Angelica Sanchez, organico che riunisce alcuni protagonisti della scene musicali di New York, Los Angeles e San Francisco: i sassofonisti Chris Speed e Michael Attias, il clarinettista Ben Goldberg, il cornettista Kenny Warren, il trombettista Thomas Heberer, il chitarrista Omar Tamez, il contrabbassista John Hébert e il batterista Sam Ospovat. Trasferitasi nel 1994 a New York da Phoenix (Arizona), Angelica è parte dell'Exploding ...

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Album Review

Dave Liebman: Dave Liebman: Live at Smalls

Read "Dave Liebman: Live at Smalls" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


A brief, charged commencement by Dave Liebman and trumpeter Peter Evans (Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Mary Halvorson) launches Dave Liebman: Live at Smalls and from there the nocturne reaches out like a rhizome—laterally, vertically, horizontally—thriving into your consciousness, taking root, expanding . . . Free jazz is and will always be a fertile mind-field, an active landscape where veterans such as the quintet here at Smalls, post-plague, in a city pulled apart by fact and fiction, ...

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Album Review

Frank Carlberg Trio: Reflections 1952

Read "Reflections 1952" reviewed by Mark Corroto


How does one approach a Thelonious Monk tribute recording? Does the pianist sound like Monk? Truthfully, it is rare for a musician to replicate the high priest of bebop's distinctive and eccentric sound. Walter Davis Jr. could, but most other attempts are easily exposed as forgeries. The finest tributes are the ones that originate with the musician's language, like the South American sounds of Danilo Perez' Panamonk (Impulse!, 1996), Steve Lacy's soprano saxophone interpretations or guitarist Miles Okazaki's covers. Add ...

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Album Review

Dave Liebman: Trust And Honesty

Read "Trust And Honesty" reviewed by Chris May


Dave Liebman's Trust And Honesty is the third release in Newvelle Records' limited edition audiophile-vinyl autumn 2022 Renewal Collection. It follows Elan Mehler's There Is A Dance and Michael Blake's Combobulate, both previously reviewed on these pages. Liebman's album is an unassuming little gem. It takes a master musician to take a selection of familiar ballads, give them simple, straightforward readings with an average duration of around four minutes, and come up with something so lovely and ...

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Album Review

Benoît Delbecq 4: Gentle Ghosts

Read "Gentle Ghosts" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Quando ci capita di incontrare, discograficamente parlando, il pianista francese Benoît Delbecq, cinquantasei anni il prossimo giugno, non rimaniamo mai delusi, e questo suo ultimo lavoro, inciso a Parigi nel settembre 2019, non fa eccezione. Vi è all'opera il suo oliatissimo, efficientissimo quartetto, cui il tenore di Mark Turner dà la sua classica impronta, diafana, sorniona, vigorosamente pensosa (un contrasto in termini? e perché mai?), cui il parterre che lo affianca, anche grazie alla puntualità strutturale di ...

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Recording

Michaël Attias Presents "Nerve Dance" Featuring Aruán Ortiz, John Hébert & Nasheet Waits

Michaël Attias Presents "Nerve Dance" Featuring Aruán Ortiz, John Hébert & Nasheet Waits

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

Available March 10, 2017 on Clean Feed Records “Like a high-quality electronic product manufactured by the Panasonic Corporation, the career of alto saxophonist Michaël Attias has always involved being slightly ahead of his time...”—Ken Waxman, JazzWord Nerve Dance—saxophonist/composer/bandleader/conceptualist Michaël Attias’ sixth album (available on Clean Feed Records, March 10, 2017), which deals with the aesthetics of spontaneity, the theory of elasticity and the concept of equality in music, is an expansive, spirited debut from Michaël Attias’ new Quartet, featuring Aruán ...

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Performance / Tour

Adam Kolker Quartet Featuring Billy Hart, Bruce Barth & John Hébert, January 3 at Iridium in New York City

Adam Kolker Quartet Featuring Billy Hart, Bruce Barth & John Hébert, January 3 at Iridium in New York City

Source: Scott Foster

The Adam Kolker Quartet Featuring Billy Hart, Bruce Barth & John Hébert will perform January 3 at Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. Adam Kolker, a critically acclaimed jazz composer, tenor saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, bass clarinetist and Sunnyside Records artist, also leads the Adam Kolker Quartet Featuring John Abercombie. Drummer Billy Hart has appeared on more than 150 records, including Miles Davis' “On the Corner" and Herbie Hancock's “Sextant," as well as eleven records as a leader. Pianist Bruce ...

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Performance / Tour

Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open @ Littlefield - Featuring Dave Liebman, John Hebert and Works on March 9th

Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open @ Littlefield - Featuring Dave Liebman, John Hebert and Works on March 9th

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

CONNECTION WORKS PRESENTS The 4th SEASON OF BROOKLYN JAZZ WIDE OPEN @ LITTLEFIELD Littlefield is located at is located at 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Ave in Brooklyn, Tel 718 855 3388, $14 cover, $6 minimum (20 and under-$7 cover, $3 minimum) Wednesday, MARCH 9, 2 SETS @ 8:00 & 9:30 PM WORKS with Special Guests Dave Liebman & John Hebert Dave Liebman—saxophone Michele Gentile—flute Daniel Kelly—piano John Hebert—bass Rob ...

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Performance / Tour

Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open Continues @ Littlefield - Featuring Dave Liebman, John Hebert & Works - March 9!

Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open Continues @ Littlefield - Featuring Dave Liebman, John Hebert & Works - March 9!

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

CONNECTION WORKS PRESENTS The 4th SEASON OF BROOKLYN JAZZ WIDE OPEN @ LITTLEFIELD littlefieldnyc.com Littlefield is located at is located at 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Ave in Brooklyn, Tel 718 855 3388, $14 cover, $6 minimum (20 and under-$7 cover, $3 minimum) NEXT CONCERT! Wednesday, MARCH 9ר SETS @ 8:00 & 9:30 PM WORKS with Special Guests Dave Liebman & John Hebert Dave ...

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Performance / Tour

Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open Continues @ Littlefield - Featuring Dave Liebman, John Hebert & Works - March 9!

Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open Continues @ Littlefield - Featuring Dave Liebman, John Hebert & Works - March 9!

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

CONNECTION WORKS PRESENTS The 4th SEASON OF BROOKLYN JAZZ WIDE OPEN @ LITTLEFIELD Littlefield is located at is located at 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Ave in Brooklyn, Tel 718 855 3388, $14 cover, $6 minimum (20 and under-$7 cover, $3 minimum)   NEXT CONCERT! Wednesday, MARCH 9 2 SETS @ 8:00 & 9:30 PM WORKS with Special Guests Dave Liebman & John Hebert Dave Liebman—saxophone Michele Gentile—flute ...

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Performance / Tour

Ellery Eskelin / John Hebert / Devin Gray at the Tea Lounge on July 30th

Ellery Eskelin / John Hebert / Devin Gray at the Tea Lounge on July 30th

Source: Michael Ricci


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Recording

Russ Lossing - John Hebert : Line up on Hatology 651

Russ Lossing - John Hebert :  Line up on Hatology 651

Source: All About Jazz

Russ Lossing - John Hebert : Line Up on Hatology 651 Russ Lossing -piano & John Hebert -double bass Total Time DDD 55:43

It's a rich and varied tradition in which Lossing and Hebert locate themselves, and their duets are both an incidental celebration of the tradition and a commemoration of their working partnership. John Hebert remarks of these duos, “This was a project that we put together as a document of years of playing together ...

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Performance / Tour

Frank Kimbrough with Paul Motian and John Hebert at Jazz Standard 9/25 and 26

Frank Kimbrough with Paul Motian and John Hebert at Jazz Standard 9/25 and 26

Source: Palmetto Records

Frank Kimbrough Trio with John Hebert and Paul Motian

Frank Kimbrough - piano John Hebert - bass Paul Motian - drums

Tuesday and Wednesday, September 25 and 26 Sets at 7:30 and 9:30 $20 music charge / no minimum

Jazz Standard 116 E. 27th St. (between Park and Lexington), NYC reservations: 212 - 576 - 2232

PlayM/, with Masa Kamaguchi and Paul Motian, and Lullabluebye, with Ben Allison ...

Byzantine Monkey is a strong debut of a new band of old colleagues.
—David Ryshpan, Exclaim!

...music that engages the ear and teases the intellect...a depth of engagement that simply seems to elude a lot of contemporary jazz.
—Nic Jones, AllAboutJazz.com

First and foremost, Hebert has his own sound, not an easy accomplishment for a bassist. Big, rich, tones and a penchant for melodic lines (even in the most frenetic pieces) makes his playing stand out. Byzantine Monkey takes the listener out of the everyday world into a landscape of mature melodies, splendid musicianship and highly creative interplay. It's an aural landscape one can return to time and again, uncovering new paths to follow.
—Richard Kamins, Hartford, Courant

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Concerts

May 17 Fri

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live at Smalls

Cellar Live
2023

buy

Nighttime Creatures

Pyroclastic Records
2023

buy

The Speed Of Time

SteepleChase Records
2023

buy

Sounds Of Love

Sunnyside Records
2022

buy

Hohenheim Suites

Independent
2022

buy

Trust And Honesty

Newvelle Records
2022

buy

Nighttime Creatures

From: Nighttime Creatures
By John Hébert

When There Were Trains

From: Balancing Act
By John Hébert

Tuesday Overture

From: At This Time
By John Hébert

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