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Herb Robertson

Herb Robertson is an avant-garde jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and music producer. He combines a thorough command of traditional and extended techniques with a prodigious imagination.

Born in New Jersey, he began to play trumpet in school during the fifth grade. He was introduced to jazz two years later by his junior high music teacher including Miles Davis. Robertson began collecting jazz records, listening to all styles from Louis Armstrong to the avant-garde and especially the era’s hard bop. In high school he led a quintet that played dances. During 1969-73 he attended the Berklee School Of Music as an instrumental performance major, a period in which his improvisational skills became highly developed. In 1973 he left Berklee, playing on the road in Canada as a lead trumpeter with jazz-rock cover bands.

In 1975 Herb Robertson had to quit playing music for a short time when the strain of performing nightly in a loud jazz-rock band caused him to temporarily lose his trumpet chops. Robertson altered his style, becoming a more lyrical and explorative player. In 1976 he started a rehearsal big band, also playing with some of the local avant-garde musicians in New Jersey. He met altoist Tim Berne in the late 1970s and first gained attention for his playing with Berne’s groups during 1981-87. His tonal distortions and use of mutes looked back to jazz’s past while his freer improvising was quite futuristic, fitting in very well with Berne’s passionate alto playing. He also became a member of bassist Mark Helias’ group.

Robertson, wholed his initial album in 1982, has since appeared on over 100 recording projects. As a leader he put together his own adventurous band in 1987 and has recorded for the JMT, Splasc (h), Leo, CIMP and Cadence labels. His groups since 1987 include The Double Infinitives, the Herb Robertson Brass Ensemble, and various all-star groups with Dominic Duval, Jay Rosen, Paul Smoker and Phil Haynes. He has worked with many of the major names of avant-garde and modern mainstream jazz including Anthony Davis, Bobby Previte, David Sanborn, George Gruntz, Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Lou Graissi’s Po’ Band, The Fonda-Stevens Group, Nexus, Barry Guy’s New Orchestra, Michael Moore, Terry Jenoure, Andy Laster, Judi Silvano, John Lindberg, Gerry Hemingway, Zlatko Kaucic, the Satoko Fujii big band, Marc Ducret, Simon Nabatov, Mark Feldman, Pierre Dorge’s New Jungle Orchestra, John Zorn, Roswell Rudd, Elliot Sharpe, the Klaus Konig Orchestra, Rashied Ali, Ray Anderson, Paul Motian, Dewey Redman, Evan Parker, Agusti Fernandez, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Frank Gratkowski, Michiel Braam, Matthias Schubert, Mark Dresser, the Charlie Haden Music Liberation Orchestra, Wilbert De Joode, Wolter Wierbos...He has been cited as an important influence by Dave Douglas.

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Album Review

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Entity

Read "Entity" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Undicesimo album per l'Orchestra New York di Satoko Fujii, qui composta di tredici elementi, dei quali ben nove già presenti nel primo lavoro, South Wind, risalente al lontano 1997. Il disco è registrato nel maggio del 2019 ed è uscito già lo scorso anno, ma merita egualmente grande attenzione, in quanto si tratta di un lavoro di primissimo livello. Né poteva essere diversamente, considerando non solo la qualità media, altissima, delle produzioni della musicista giapponese, ma anche l'organico straordinario della ...

Album Review

Jim Yanda: A Silent Way

Read "A Silent Way" reviewed by Maurizio Comandini


Il titolo e i riferimenti evocati da questo album del chitarrista di avanguardia Jim Yanda, sono piuttosto scivolosi. Volutamente. Per fortuna John Cage ha già ampiamente chiarito che il silenzio non esiste in quanto tale e quindi il percorso silenzioso intrapreso da Yanda non ha punti in comune, se non nelle cose ovvie, con il percorso che caratterizzava “In a Silent Way," uno dei capolavori più luminosi di Miles Davis. Messa in questo modo, la questione potrebbe apparire ...

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Album Review

Simon Nabatov: Plain

Read "Plain" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Dopo aver riallacciato proficui rapporti con l'ambiente musicale di New York (e il precedente album per la Clean Feed, Last Minute Theory lo dimostra), il pianista Simon Nabatov coinvolge altri notevoli esponenti del jazz più innovativo, in equilibrio tra mainstream avanzato e post-free. Nomi d'alto rilievo come il sassofonista Chris Speed, il trombettista Herb Robertson, il bassista John Hébert e il batterista Tom Rainey. Il pianista d'origine russa -cittadino americano dal 1986 e da anni residente in Germania-chiarisce ...

8
Album Review

The MacroQuarktet: The Complete Night: Live At The Stone NYC

Read "The Complete Night: Live At The Stone NYC" reviewed by John Sharpe


The Complete Night presents forward looking trumpeters Herb Robertson and Dave Ballou in a series of long form improvisations from NYC venue The Stone in 2007, in a foursome with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey. The first set was previously issued as Each Part A Whole on Robertson's Ruby Flower imprint, but in its latest incarnation on Out Of Your Head Records, it has been supplemented by the second set, which is certainly worth having. While there's no ...

6
Album Review

Simon Nabatov with Chris Speed, Herb Robertson, John Hébert, Tom Rainey: Plain

Read "Plain" reviewed by Mark Corroto


How fitting is the comparison between the music of Simon Nabatov and a Matryoshka doll? The Russian-born American's music is a nesting of not dolls but musical genres, placed one inside the other. Classically trained as a child, he can often be found in the free jazz wilds, moving easily between European and American brands of instant composing. He also has a passion for Brazilian music, chamber music, computer-interfaced sounds, and solo performance. Maybe the easiest introductions to his multi-faceted ...

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Album Review

The MacroQuarktet: The Complete Night: Live At The Stone NYC

Read "The Complete Night: Live At The Stone NYC" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Listening to The MacroQuarktet calls to mind comedians Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters. Did they warm up before an evening of improvisational comedy? Once on stage or a TV talk show, instantaneously they were 'on,' firing a superabundance of thoughts, jokes, impressions, etc at their audience. It is the same for the two improvised music sets by this 'on' quartet. Recorded in 2007 and originally released as a single disc on Herb Robertson's Ruby Flower Records label as ...

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Album Review

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Entity

Read "Entity" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


As she did in 2019, pianist/composer Satoko Fujii—an artist at home in many formations—opens the new decade with an orchestra recording. Entity, from Fujii's Orchestra New York, is the eleventh release from the ensemble that has remained largely intact for almost twenty-three years. It is an all-star collective that includes saxophonists Oscar Noriega, Ellery Eskelin and Tony Malaby, trumpeters Natsuki Tamura and Herb Robertson, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Ches Smith. Entity has its moments of tranquility but ...

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205

Interview

Trumpeter Herb Robertson Interviewed at AAJ

Trumpeter Herb Robertson Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

Amid a whorl of scraped cello, tenor sax squawks, and bass clarinet blats, trumpeter Herb Robertson paused, his eyes closed in concentration. With NSA-like hearing ability, he pierced the action with a bracing note that crystallized the unfurling improvisation. The intent listening and bold responses displayed during saxophonist Lotte Anker's January show at The Stone typify Robertson's commitment to playing in the moment.

“Once I start improvising I just can't think about other things," Robertson says. “Improvisation, to me, that's ...

202

Performance / Tour

Gnosis Featuring Herb Robertson at The Yippie Cafe (NYC) on February 21

Gnosis Featuring Herb Robertson at The Yippie Cafe (NYC) on February 21

Source: All About Jazz


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Recording

Ruby Flower Records Releases 2008

Ruby Flower Records Releases 2008

Source: All About Jazz

Ruby Flower Records released three new CDs : “Passing The Torch" RF03CD Ruby Flower Records©2008 Herb Robertson - trumpet, cornet, soprano hunting horn, prepared trumpet, reed flute, whistles, vocals Jean-Luc Cappozzo - trumpet, flugelhorn, prepared trumpet, vocals Liner Notes : Bernard Prouteau (2007) Producers : Ana Isabel Ordonez & Herb Robertson ----

“Second Time" RF05CD Ruby Flower Records©2008 A COPRODUCTION RUBY FLOWER RECORDS & ...

140

Event

Consilience and Altruism: Of the Other Way of Thinking and Stephanie Stone

Consilience and Altruism: Of the Other Way of Thinking and Stephanie Stone

Source: All About Jazz

WHAT: A Bio-Musical Imaginative Theoretical Tribute written and created by Ana Isabel Ordonez

Improvisational patterns and concepts by Herb Robertson

Design created by Claude Marc Bourget

WHO: The Herb Robertson Sextet with Marty Erhlich, David Taylor, Terry McManus, Mark Helias & Jay Rosen

WHEN: Sunday November 16, 2008 at 10:00pm

WHERE: The Stone New York City, New York 10009

COST: $10

The sense of ...

155

Performance / Tour

A Touch of Noir & Shades of Jazz on Noir Film-Concert Series

A Touch of Noir & Shades of Jazz on Noir Film-Concert Series

Source: All About Jazz

A Touch of Noir brings about a new music approach to classic film noir history correcting the disembodiment that existed in the original scores, making a dark and ominous dramatic effect. The improvisers will combine blues and swing and some written excerpts with the film “A Touch of Noir” simultaneously. The effect of this live performance will instantly create a score for the film and two separate media experiences or one total experience together. This film has been performed in ...

115

Performance / Tour

Blaise Siwula/Sten Hostfalt + Tim Berne/Herb Robertson/Terrence McManus NYC

Blaise Siwula/Sten Hostfalt + Tim Berne/Herb Robertson/Terrence McManus NYC

Source: All About Jazz

WHAT: LIVE in CONCERT at ABC No Rio New York City

WHEN: Sunday, September 21st 2008 at 8 pm

WHO: TIM BERNE - saxophone HERB ROBERTSON - trumpet TERRENCE McMANUS - guitar

WHEN: Sunday, September 21st 2008 at 9 pm

WHO: BLAISE SIWULA - saxophone STEN HOSTFALT - guitar

WHERE: ABC No Rio New ...

144

Music Industry

Herb Robertson Label: Ruby Flower Records

Herb Robertson Label: Ruby Flower Records

Source: All About Jazz

RUBY FLOWER RECORDS

During the summer of 2005, trumpeter Clarence “Herb" Robertson found a way to control his artistic creations through his own releases with the music he loves to play and to perform. Similarly, scientist Ana Isabel Ordonez wanted to turn her passion for art and jazz founding a recording label in which the avant-garde music would be the priority.

Both Herb Robertson and Ana Isabel Ordonez became business partners and opened their own record company, Ruby Flower Records. ...

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Performance / Tour

Herb Robertson Trio at U-Mass Amherst April 3, 2007

Herb Robertson Trio at U-Mass Amherst April 3, 2007

Source: All About Jazz

Herb Robertson-trumpets, cornet, mutes Mark Helias-bass, Chris Lough-bass Tuesday, April 3 7:00 pm at the Augusta Savage Gallery 15 Curry Hicks University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003-9267 413-545-5177 Herb Robertson is an imaginative artist whose work defies category. His fluid, soulful, and highly original musical style is supported by a command of traditional and extended forms. Born and raised in New Jersey, Robertson attended Berklee School of Music from 1969-1972. ...

“Robertson’s music is simultaneously a game of equals and a parody of excesses, with an irreverent use of structured freedom. It is also an obtuse refraction of Ellingtonian hues and blues that’s both dramatic and compelling” Wire Magazine

Primary Instrument

Trumpet

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

A Silent Way

Corner Store Jazz
2021

buy

The Complete Night:...

Out Of Your Head Records
2020

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Plain

Clean Feed Records
2020

buy

Entity

Libra Records
2020

buy

Party Enders

Concord Jazz
2012

buy

Ancón

Slam Records
2012

buy

Entity

From: Entity
By Herb Robertson

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