Spring Comes Early
Ceola, 2023
8/10
A veteran jazz artist with much skill in the area of the keys, John Herberman has 45+ albums to his credit, and recently he’s returned to his interest of jazz from the ‘50s and ‘60s, which brings us to this 2nd album original tracks.
The warm spirit of “Courtenay Circle” opens the listen with Herberman’s elegant keys and Ted Warren’s playful drums making for a cozy climate, and “Central Park West” follows with Vern Dorge’s soulful sax and Paul Nototny’s skilled acoustic bass radiating care and dreaminess.
At the halfway point, “Modalities” benefits much from John McLeod’s well timed trumpet and Mark Duggan’s glowing vibes amid much melody, while “Gentle Giant” place Mark Kelso on drums and Mark Eisenman also on piano for the rich album highlight.
Moving towards the end, “St. James Town” spotlights Eric St. Laurent’s meticulous electric guitar, as the setting is more rock focused, and “Ballad For M.T.” exits with Kevin Turcotte’s sublime flugelhorn and Herberman’s poetic keys mixing with strong attention to detail.
The influences from Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans and Snarky Puppy won’t go unnoticed or unappreciated, as Herberman and company flesh out a timeless body of work.
Travels well with: Peripheral Vision- We’ve Got Nothing; Jesse Dietschi Trio- Gradient