Jazz Articles about Conrad Herwig

Conrad Herwig/Brian Lynch: Que Viva Coltrane

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 22, 2005

In recent years, trumpeter Brian Lynch and trombonist Conrad Herwig were part of one of Eddie Palmieri's better late period ensembles, proving to be an incendiary addition to a high-octane ensemble dedicated to the fiery hybrid most folks refer to as salsa. It's perfectly logical then for the pair to team up for a recent project fashioning Latin jazz treatments of several John Coltrane classics. Wisely, they have chosen to bring on board a crew of musicians steeped in the ...

Conrad Herwig/Brian Lynch: Que Viva Coltrane

by Terrell Kent Holmes
December 7, 2004

The world will never pay enough homage to the music of John Coltrane. Having his music translated into the Latin idiom isn't a huge stretch, considering that many of his tunes had strong Afro-Cuban roots. Placing Trane en clave was a challenge that trombonist Conrad Herwig and trumpeter Brian Lynch happily accepted when they conceived Que Viva Coltrane , a humble offering to the immortal saxophonist in which they successfully translated some of Trane's most famous tunes into ...

Conrad Herwig Group at the 2004 Downbeat/UMKC Conservatory Jazz Festival

by Michael Shults
February 5, 2004

Conrad Herwig is going Latin again.

And no one's complaining.

Herwig, the 43 year old trombone extraordinaire and winner of the 2002 Downbeat Critics' Poll for Jazz Trombonist of the Year, has always had an affinity for Latin jazz. He's a veteran of the bands of Mario Bauz, Paquito D'Rivera and Eddie Palmieri, and his 1998 release, The Latin Side of John Coltrane was nominated for a Grammy. Herwig's latest project, Another Kind of Blue: The Latin Side of Miles ...

Conrad Herwig: Hieroglyphica/Shades of Light

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 13, 2002

It is without taking away anything from the founding fathers of this music to suggest that some of today's practitioners might be the most technically gifted lot to come along. Of course, they now have the entire rich history of jazz at their fingertips and slews of recordings for inspiration, yet there's no denying the talent at hand. Such is the case with 43-year-old trombonist Conrad Herwig. Hardly a Johnny Come Lately, Herwig has been on the scene for some ...

Conrad Herwig: Osteology

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 1, 2000

The trombone in jazz has often taken a backseat to the more extroverted and visceral sounds of the saxophone and trumpet, occupying the position of an ignored stepchild, so to speak. The few trombonists that have attained historical status are almost exclusively from the bop era of jazz, leaving out a healthy number of swing and mainstream players. Currently, Conrad Herwig and Steve Davis are doing their part to continue the development of the trombone heritage, with Osteology also tipping ...

Conrad Herwig: Osteology

by David Adler
February 1, 2000

A jazz guitarist with a penchant for provocation once called the guitar “the lamest jazz instrument... besides the trombone." The big horn, with its awkard slide and low, nasal sound, is certainly a jazz underdog. Its important role in big bands is indisputable, but it is generally not thought of as a frontman instrument. In other words, there’s never been a Charlie Parker or John Coltrane of the trombone. Thanks to the unwieldy mechanics of the instrument, trombonists typically haven’t ...

Conrad Herwig: The Latin Side of John Coltrane

by Douglas Payne
April 1, 1997

A great idea beautifully executed by New York trombonist Conrad Herwig. The trombonist/arranger/musical director chooses Coltrane's most accessible material from a period that arguably spawned his best, most memorable work (1958-1964), devised simple, exploratory frameworks for each (recalling veteran Chico O'Farrill), then assembled an outstanding collection of musicians. In addition to Herwig's sinewy trombone, there's Brian Lynch on trumpet, Dave Valentin on flutes, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Richie Beirach (who contributed to some of the arrangements), Danilo Perez and Eddie ...