Reviews - Ideals
Steve Herberman is an exceptional guitarist..."Ideals" is a
delight, artfully played and quietly triumphant.
- Robert Doerschuk, Downbeat Magazine (5/09)
D.C. -based guitarist Steve Herberman showcases his
formidable chops in an intimate trio setting with bassist Tom
Baldwin and drummer Mark Ferber. The swinging collection
includes vibrant new arrangements of standards like Weill'
"This Is New" and Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes," along with
affecting Herberman originals like the introspective ballad "Let
Go," the jaunty "She's For Me," the infectious second-line
groover "Upbeat," and the gorgeous title track. A must for
guitar aficionados.
- Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes (3/09)
Steve Herberman is one of the most respected names in the
world of jazz guitar and he serves his cause well with the
2009 CD release of Ideals by the Steve Herberman Trio...
Great jazz guitar playing, great chording work and solid
improv combine on a CD that sounds like it could have been
recorded live on stage at the Blue Note.
- Robert Silverstein, MWE3.com (7/09)
With each release Steve Herberman's skills become more
and more evident... Herberman is at home with atmospheric
boppers like "This Is New" as he is with introspective ballads
like the title cut. The former offers a full menu of chops, mixing
chords with single-lines and everything in between. It never
becomes clichéd, and Herberman's use of chromatics adds
an element that takes you by surprise and keeps things
moving. The original "She's For Me" is another chance to take
in the chops: while playing with incredible soul and wit,
Herberman recalls the history of jazz guitar in an imaginative,
leisurely-paced swinger... Herberman isn't a household name
among jazz fans like some of his generation have become,
but his playing and compositional skills should make him one.
-John Heidt, Vintage Guitar magazine (6/09)
Steve Herberman gives notice of guitar chops galore. His trio
with Tom Baldwin and Mark Ferber gets you shaking your
head in amazement right off with a ripping version of Kurt
Weill's "This Is New." ...Herberman has the single note jazz
style down... I know guitar freaks are a special breed so be
aware: Steve Herberman is a guitarist you need to check out.
-George Fendel, Jazz Scene (2/09)
Over the last decade the D.C.guitarist has earned the respect
of his fellow musicians and students of jazz guitar alike with
his work as an educator and a performer...
The rhythm section of Baldwin and Ferber do a magnificent
job throughout the CD reacting to the nuances of
Herberman's playing and arrangements... The arrangements
and performances are top-notch and you forget after a while
that you are listening to a trio because it seems at times like
there are more. In my house I have some jazz guitar trio
recordings that I listen to often and Ideals measures up to
them nicely. I highly recommend it.
-Chip Henderson, Just Jazz Guitar (02/09)
...It's true that jazz guitarist Steve Herberman is one of my
favorite mainstream jazz guitarists. That said, I think I can still
be objective as it relates to his craft & artistic delivery.
'Control' is what Steve's talent(s) is all about. And, his devilish
take on the classic standard “Will You Still Be Mine” will attest
to this! More important is his guitar nuances, his feeling for the
song, his overall interpretive cast on the American Songbook,
his melodic line, his choice of jazz harmonies. This defines his
massive talents. In this extensive CD project, there are an
astonishing variety of straight ahead jazz ballads and up
tempo song choices, delivered with immense sophistication.
The power, quantity, and quality of Steve's effort here puts
him in the category of those jazz players that one can only
aspire to...
-George W Carroll, The Musicians' Ombudsman (10/08)
Much of what is written in reviews about Herberman's playing
is analogous to the created illusion of two guitarists, or the use
of
overdubbing. Ideals however, finds such statement wanting
and unsuitable. Guitar and piano trios have always each had
a distinctive
vibe and aesthetic, but here, Herberman blurs the line with his
adept application of counterpoint and refined harmonic
epitome. Voicings never sound 'stock', rather well considered
and purposeful, but by no means overly contrived, while
improvised lines roll out with subtle diversity in phrasing and
above all, dynamic contrast. His accompaniment, both of
himself and his band mates is complimentary, exacting, and
always stylish.
Following on from his sophomore recording: Action:Reaction
(Reach Music, 2006), Herberman is again joined by drummer
Mark Ferber, and this time, by new recruit Tom Baldwin on
the bass. However, in contrast to the previous
album��"which
was entirely comprised of his
imaginative and polished compositions��"he stretches out
into
the domain of the great jazz composers; visiting the works of
Gershwin, Victor Young, Mal Waldron and Antonio Carlos
Jobim.
The four originals presented continue in his strong exploration
of harmony and form, with the melodies perhaps smoother,
and less angular than on previous outings. "She's For Me" is
a prime example of this well developed and delivered work,
and Baldwin adds an exemplar improvisation which connects
perfectly with Herberman's playing, leading to the crisp
tradeoff with Ferber.
The connection between bass and guitar is again supremely
evident on Baldwin's arrangement of "Soon". Here, polar
disparities between the whimsical four-on-the-floor bass-led
melody of the opening, and the virtuosic jostling at the close,
reveal a strong, and most importantly effective relationship
between the musicians. This is not to say that Ferber doesn't
contribute; his rhythmic sensibility and precise flair behind the
kit doesn't just fulfill the drummer's cliché of "holding the trio
together"��"an unfair assessment of his impact��"rather,
he
truly furthers the group as a musical entity.
Herberman continues to be one of the finest guitarists of his
generation, and Ideals slots perfectly into an already notable,
and
hopefully long celebrated discography.
-Dave Major, All About Jazz (10/08)
Reviews - Action:Reaction
Bill Milkowski's review in May ‘07 JazzTimes:
On this superb outing, seven-string jazz guitarist Steve
Herberman exhibits a vast harmonic palette involving
uncommon stretches on the fretboard along with a real
capacity to burn on fluent single note lines. Alternating
between a deft fingerstyle approach on rich chordal melodies,
a technique that allows for more contrapuntal voicings, and
using a pick on accelerated single note runs, Herberman gets
the best of both worlds on his instrument. Hearing his sheer
command of the instrument on pieces like the burning bop-
fueled “Cos' Groove,” the darkly introspective “Negev
Journey” and jaunty swingers like “Be Nimble” and
“Sphericity” immediately puts one in mind of such jazz guitar
masters as Joe Pass, Joe Diorio, Lenny Breau, and Gene
Bertoncini. His nuanced touch, excellent tone, tasteful, even
phrasing and fresh writing style, particularly on delicate
ballads like “Halcyon Air” and “Nearly Time,” the challenging
intervallic vehicle “Snap!” or the angular boogaloo “Worry
Not,” further elevates Herberman far above the pack of other
talented Berklee grads now looking to find their place in the
jazz world.
The D.C.-based Herberman also excised good judgment in
recruiting New Yorkers Drew Gress and Mark Ferber for his
rhythm section on his project. Gress, a stalwart on New
York's downtown scene, is one reliable groovemeister and
one of the most creative improvisers around. His tone is huge
and his time feel on swingers like the up-tempo “Cos' Groove”
and mid-tempo numbers like “Shoutin' Down” and “Sphericity”
is solid and unerring. And his melodic solos on the bossa-
flavored “Halcyon Air” and on “Nearly Time” contain rare
beauty. Though highly regarded inside the alternative jazz
circles, the largely underrated Ferber shows uncommon
empathy throughout this session, along a relaxed,
rhythmically assured sense of swing, as he aptly
demonstrates on “Shoutin' Down,” which features some hip
exchanges between guitarist and drummer.
Herberman's follow-up to 2001's Thought Lines is definitely
worth checking out for fans of advanced jazz guitar.
��" Bill Milkowski (Author of “The Extraordinary and Tragic
Life
Of Jaco Pastorius”)
" Steve Herberman is a guitarist with first-rate touch, and
admirable facility, who achieves exceptional sound on his
instrument. And in the forest of guitarists that's no mean feat."
-Willard Jenkins, The Independent Ear (Feb. 07)
"Herberman has written complex and interesting music that
will hold your attention... His guitar lines are consistently
inspired and inventive... This CD will take a well deserved
place alongside some of the classics of that
(guitar/bass/drums) genre...."
- Curtis Davenport, Jazz Improv (01/07) ()
Achieving a fresh and distinctive voice with guitar trio is no
easy task, but Steve Herberman, with Drew Gress and Mark
Ferber, has done just that with the vibrant sounds on
Action:Reaction.
-Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz (12/06)
"Warm, subtle, compelling...challenging harmonies and
intellectual melodic lines...being musical on guitar is his prime
directive ...very impressive. "
- George W. Carroll/The Musicians' Ombudsman (12/06)
This outstanding CD, with creative input from bassist Drew
Gress and drummer Mark Ferber, will cause many guitarists
to take a deep breath. On nine intriguing originals, Herberman
smoothly blends melody and counterpoint along unpredictable
pathways.
-Jill McManus, NJ Star Ledger (12/06)
Throughout this album, Steve Herberman checks positively
on all of the benchmarks of a mainstream jazz guitarist:
lyricism, chops and creativity.
- Michael Gladstone, All About Jazz (1/07)
"The compositions are first rate, the playing world class, and
the interaction breathtaking."
- Matthew Warnock, Just Jazz Guitar (2/06)
"Wonderful playing, writing, production, solos. Great music!" -
Gary Husband (Allan Holdsworth Group)
"Herberman's propensity for following a melodic idea, or
expanding a voicing, far beyond the written harmony brings to
mind such giants as Bill Frisell and John Scofield."
-Guitar One magazine (02/07)
"Action:Reaction is a tribute to the spirit of modern jazz
guitar."
- 20th Century Guitar magazine (2/07)
Reviews - Thoughtlines
"With a fluid, light touch, Herberman spins out ideas that hang
together well... demonstrating solid harmonic and melodic
sensibilities."
��" Jim Ferguson, Jazz Times
"Herberman is known for his deft counterpoint..."
��" Downbeat Magazine
"It's not difficult to understand why Thought Lines, Silver
Spring-based guitarist Steve Herberman's new album, has
drawn kind words from jazz guitar god Jim Hall or why at least
one critic has suggested the disc merits favorable
comparison with the exquisite jazz recordings made by the
late guitarist Joe Pass. Airy, melodic and swinging, it's that
good."
��" Mike Joyce, The Washington Post
"Thought Lines presents Herberman as a guitarist with
absolute command of his instrument."
��" Don Williamson, Jazz review.com
(click here to read the entire review)
"Illuminating chord substitutions... tasteful solos... intelligent
phrasing, articulation and dynamics... well constructed solos
lyrically explore the instrumental range of the guitar"
��" Winthrop Bedford, Jazz Improv magazine
"Thought Lines is a terrific CD... I enjoyed it a lot... the clarity
and balance Steve gets with his right hand is amazing."
��" Jim Hall
"Steve Herberman is one of the freshest new jazz voices on
the scene today."
��" Jimmy Bruno
"His talent has such an energetic flare, with his own voice,
that he cannot help become a major force in jazz"
��" Jude Hibler, 20th Century Guitar magazine
(Herberman has) impeccable phrasing... drop-dead gorgeous
lines...
��" Dave McElfresh, Goldmine
Irrespective of tempo, there's no strain and no contrivances,
as inventive chordal structures played on top of string bass
lines come out of the big [seven string] guitar with ease...
Recommended.
��" Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
"Highly recommended, Steve Herberman’s debut introduces a
talented guitarist with great taste..."
��" Jim Santella, All About Jazz (read entire review)
"Stellar playing... Great jazz guitar... [Thought Lines] is an
excellent CD. "
��" The Washington Post
"Rich improvised lines..."
��" Cadence magazine
Vince Lewis, Just Jazz Guitar Magazine on Thought Lines:
A very impressive display of musicianship... A tightly knit
group that responds collectively to each nuance of the
music... Herberman's fingerstyle technique creates a rich
sound, it evokes comparisons to Joe Pass.. [Herberman]
shows a fine command of harmonic structure and concept...
[Thought Lines] offers a nice mix of standards and original
compositions and the wide variety of musical feels and
tempos keeps the listener interested throughout... Herberman
is a very high caliber player with an excellent tone. His sense
of phrasing combines a traditional style with a contemporary
sense of note selection to serve up music that is a pleasure to
hear.
John Pisano, L.A. jazz guitarist/recording artist:
"I Wish I Knew" is really a fine arrangement. I love the
spaceyness! Steve's original, "Thought Lines" is well
constructed and musically satisfying. His approach and touch
on "Laura", one of our favorites, is both lyrical and played with
sensitivity. "Nobody Else But Me" really swings , great guitar
solo. The whole CD is well produced and planned. Love the
recorded sound of Steve's seven string. It has a great natural
sound.
"Herberman zig-zags effortlessly through the idiosyncratic
theme of 'Criss Cross' then expounds expertly revealing a
keen awareness of Monk's compositional approach to
improvisation."
��" Adam Perlmutter, Guitar One magazine
"Herberman shows himself to be a wonderful player with a
great touch, a first-rate interpreter, and a composer of
originals that stick in your mind. He's extremely imaginative
and plays with the fire that's needed. He's a stylist a la Jim
Hall, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery."
��" John Heidt, Vintage Guitar magazine
"Thought Lines offers a varied mix of mood and approach, all
tasteful and direct, and showcases Herberman's
compositional gifts on four tracks. For me, one sure sign of
writing talent is when I can't get an original melody out of my
head. Weeks later, the intriguing title track is still in there, and I
expect this CD will also remain in my player for a long time."
��" Judith Schlesinger, All About Jazz
"Steve Herberman is a young guitarist well worth keeping an
eye and an ear on. He has an excellent touch, is in deft
control of his instrument and his playing always serves the
song, never devolving into rote showing off. His excellent CD
Thought Lines is an impressive and dramatic statement
featuring excellent compositions, impressive, unobtrusive
arrangements and great interplay between all the musicians
particularly Herberman and saxophonist Bruce Swaim. I look
forward to hearing more from him."
��" Alan Paul, Guitar World magazine
"[Herberman] is a serious educator and gifted performer...
[Thought Lines] is not a ho-hum assortment of standards,
rather a collection of well-constructed improvisations to some
gutsy and rarely performed jazz songs, along with satisfying
originals that stand alone as quality compositions... He's an
artist deserving wider recognition... an outstanding guitarist."
��" Suzi Price, Jazz Review.com
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