Conrad Herwig Quintet
The Blue Note
New York, NY
July 25, 2012
During the last week of July, 2012, at New York City's Blue Note club, trombonist Conrad Herwig performed with his quintet, also featuring trumpeter
Alex Sipiagin, baritone saxophonist
Ronnie Cuber, pianist
Bill O'Connell, bassist
Ruben Rodriguez, drummer
Robby Ameen and conguero/percussionist
Richie Flores. Herwig paid tribute to the sophisticated tenor saxophonist
Joe Henderson, who passed in 2001.
Henderson was one of Herwig's heroes, mentors and close friends. Herwig's Blue Note shows were advertised as "The Latin Side of Joe Henderson." With Flores onboard, it was difficult not to put on a rhythmically enthralling show, Latin style.
This "Latin Side" touch has become a trademark for Herwig; indeed, the trombonist has been reinventing landmark albums by "Latinizing" them. His "Latin Side" recordings include
The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock (2010),
The Latin Side of Wayne Shorter (2008),
Sketches of Spain y Mas (2006),
Another Kind of Blue (2004), and
The Latin Side of John Coltrane (1996), all on the HalfNote label.
Herwig is known for his collaborations with trumpeters
Miles Davis and
Tom Harrell, saxophonist Joe Henderson, and
Joe Lovano (who performed with his quintet over the weekend)), pianist
Eddie Palmieri, timbale player
Tito Puente, and singer
Frank Sinatra. He has also performed with singer
Cab Calloway and drummers
Buddy Rich and
Mel Lewis.
Catching the second set on Wednesday evening, July 25, the band was getting ready to record on the weekend. Herwig thus mentioned that they were playing a longer set than usual: a wonderful idea. "We are rehearsing for record day," the trombonist explained, and the audience forgave him completely.
Herwig also talked about his friend, trumpeter/flugelhornist
Clark Terry, who is now 92 years old and with whom the trombonist has performed. He quoted Terry, saying, "It's not a jazz show if you don't play a blues." For that very reason, Herwig also decided to play one of Joe Henderson's blues.
The solos from each instrumentalist were impressive, as well as the quality and originality of each tune. The band played "Afrocentric," a tune from Henderson's
Power to the People (Milestone, 1969), which featured bassist
Ron Carter, pianist
Herbie Hancock, drummer
Jack DeJohnette and trumpeter
Mike Lawrence. "We hope you like this version," Herwig declared.
Herwig described Henderson as a brilliant and most sweet man, who spoke Spanish, Japanese, German and Russian. As Herwig explained, Henderson "was a genius."
The show was not only a great "rehearsal" for the musicians, who created a special intimate atmosphere onstageusing the Blue Note as a sort of recording studiobut it was also moving. While paying tribute to Henderson, Herwig not only reclaimed a daunting musical tradition by honoring the spirit of the late saxophonist, but he also celebrated friendshipand, in this case, a special kind of friendship: a musical one.
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