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Q&A with Widespread Panic guitarist Jimmy Herring
By Ryan Salm |
Tahoe.com
The Jimmy Herring band will be at the Crystal Bay Club on June 16, 2009.
See Jimmy Herring live
Event: The Jimmy Herring Band
Location: Crown Room inside the Crystal Bay Club
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Time: Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m.
Cost: $25 advance, $28 day of show
For the first time ever, legendary guitarist Jimmy Herring is hitting the road under his own name, with a hand-picked ensemble of all-star musicians in support. Pioneering a daring hybrid which crosses rock energy with the sophistication and improvisational fire of jazz, Herring's dynamic, exploratory guitar playing has been a key component of such renowned groups as the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz is Dead, Project Z, and, most recently, Widespread Panic — with whom Herring plays lead guitar to this day. Much esteemed by his fellow musicians, Herring has also been called upon for stints with Phil Lesh and Friends, the Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, and the Dead.
The Jimmy Herring Band will be performing a wide range of material, including compositions from Herring's long-awaited and much-acclaimed 2008 solo debut “Lifeboat.” In addition, there will be some cover tunes from various influential records from the ‘60s and ‘70s — and select favorites from the catalogues of the individual band members. Herring is understandably excited about the prospect of performing this music with this lineup over an extended period of time.
Location: Crown Room inside the Crystal Bay Club
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Time: Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m.
Cost: $25 advance, $28 day of show
For the first time ever, legendary guitarist Jimmy Herring is hitting the road under his own name, with a hand-picked ensemble of all-star musicians in support. Pioneering a daring hybrid which crosses rock energy with the sophistication and improvisational fire of jazz, Herring's dynamic, exploratory guitar playing has been a key component of such renowned groups as the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz is Dead, Project Z, and, most recently, Widespread Panic — with whom Herring plays lead guitar to this day. Much esteemed by his fellow musicians, Herring has also been called upon for stints with Phil Lesh and Friends, the Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, and the Dead.
The Jimmy Herring Band will be performing a wide range of material, including compositions from Herring's long-awaited and much-acclaimed 2008 solo debut “Lifeboat.” In addition, there will be some cover tunes from various influential records from the ‘60s and ‘70s — and select favorites from the catalogues of the individual band members. Herring is understandably excited about the prospect of performing this music with this lineup over an extended period of time.
Tahoe World music correspondent Ryan Salm spoke with Jimmy Herring by telephone last week as he was playing around on a Tennessee Rose Gretsch guitar on his porch.
In Salm's words: “He is one of the nicest guys I have interviewed in a long time. Jimmy has had quite a career playing with Aquarium rescue Unit, Jazz Is Dead, the Allman Brothers, Phil Lesh and Widespread Panic.”
The Jimmy Herring band will be at the Crystal Bay Club on June 16, 2009.
In Salm's words: “He is one of the nicest guys I have interviewed in a long time. Jimmy has had quite a career playing with Aquarium rescue Unit, Jazz Is Dead, the Allman Brothers, Phil Lesh and Widespread Panic.”
The Jimmy Herring band will be at the Crystal Bay Club on June 16, 2009.
Tahoe World: What got you started in the music world? Was it a song or a band or what?
Jimmy Herring: It was growing up in a house with a lot of music being played. My older brothers were always listening to the great music of the time like the Allman Bros, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, the Beatles, and the Grateful Dead. Hearing those Hendrix and Allman records from a young age, and seeing how cool they were, was one of the defining things that made me want to play music. Seeing those old pictures and those sweet guitars.
TW: Do you have a musical hero?
JH: The classic rock stuff would fall into that category. Later on it was jazz and jazz fusion. There were a lot of those guys who were more athletic on their instruments. Guitarists like Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, George Benson, John McLaughlin. You can spend your whole life listening and learning. George Benson is a huge hero and was incredible back then. All the things he did before the age of 30 was amazing. I have a million heros like Jon Scofield and Alan Holdsworth. There are so many guys that are so unique and make their own footprint. They did it and are still doing it. It is hard to do things on the guitar that are unique and these guys either did it or are still doing it.
TW: How did you become the guy that plays with all the big touring bands?
JH: I have no idea. I was just really lucky and believe that if you put out good energy and you are serious about what you do then good things will come. When playing with Phil Lesh, he would have recommendations and things that he needed from me as a guitarist. He was the band leader and I guess I could do what he wanted instead of just being up on stage and being that bitchin' guitar player doing as I pleased. If you do your best and do what is asked of you well then it puts you in a good place. If you put out good energy, you get good things back. Luck is the huge factor. Without luck it doesn't matter. There are so many good guitar players in every city that are better than me, but some of them will never leave their town. Luck is the biggie. Many people don't want to admit that. How else could you explain that some of the best musicians never get heard and never leave home and teach music and others are blessed beyond compare? I look at myself as being blessed beyond compare.
TW: What's it like playing with so many bands that rank among many people's favorites? Is it difficult to change styles so often to fit in with these bands styles? What is the most defining moment in your music career?
JH: There have been so many but obviously every night with Aquarium Rescue Unit was a new musical experience. Being in that band on a daily basis and living it and improving together every show was amazing. Money was not an issue because we were dead broke. There was something extra special musically about that.
When the Allman Brothers invited me to sit in because Dickie wasn't there in ‘93, that was amazing. They were a band I listened to when I was younger.
Any chance to play with Billy Cobham, Alphonso Johnson, T Lavitz with Jazz is Dead was amazing because those were some of my favorite musicians.
Playing with Phil Lesh and the Dead was surreal. Every single gig was a new educational experience.
And now, playing with Widespread Panic has really enabled me to find myself within the context of a big band.
It is easy to be inappropriate if you are not careful. These bands have very defined unique styles and it is easy to overstep your bounds. I did struggle with this a bit with the Allmans and found myself thinking about whether I was trying to sound too much like or not enough like Dickie. It was something that I put on myself. You don't want to do anything inappropriate.
I had to find a whole new way to play with Phil because it is nothing like playing with ARU. Widespread was a bit different because they were such an open palette. I want to play within Mikey's (Houser) kingdom as much as I can because his sound was so cool and amazing, but they let me be myself. They want me to feel free and that is a wonderful.
It's just an unbelievable gift. I thank God I am in a position to make a living playing music. I don't take it lightly and I try to do my best every night and not be screwed up on stage.
TW: Is there something you get when playing in the Jimmy Herring Band that is not present when sitting in on other bands stages?
JH: It's like a different set of muscles to flex. When playing with ARU is was about roots music and taking risks all the time. The harmony and chord progressions were simpler which made it easer to break the rules. Panic has all these songs and it is a huge muscle to flex over 23 years of history. They have their own language to improvise, you have to learn their style. You have to listen and react to them and be affected by what they are doing.
With my band, it is a more complex harmony and is more jazz fusion oriented. Instead of a D chord it may be D7b9. It is more difficult to play over, but we don't have 300 songs — we don't even have 30. It is a different set of muscles. If I could split the difference with my band in the future, that is goal. What I want to do is someday put all the things I learned with all these bands and play my own tremendous body of music with improv taking it into the next song.
Like Phil Lesh once said , “The songs are like islands out in the ocean and in between those islands we have to take a ride to get to the next islands.” And that's the improv.
Jimmy Herring: It was growing up in a house with a lot of music being played. My older brothers were always listening to the great music of the time like the Allman Bros, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, the Beatles, and the Grateful Dead. Hearing those Hendrix and Allman records from a young age, and seeing how cool they were, was one of the defining things that made me want to play music. Seeing those old pictures and those sweet guitars.
TW: Do you have a musical hero?
JH: The classic rock stuff would fall into that category. Later on it was jazz and jazz fusion. There were a lot of those guys who were more athletic on their instruments. Guitarists like Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, George Benson, John McLaughlin. You can spend your whole life listening and learning. George Benson is a huge hero and was incredible back then. All the things he did before the age of 30 was amazing. I have a million heros like Jon Scofield and Alan Holdsworth. There are so many guys that are so unique and make their own footprint. They did it and are still doing it. It is hard to do things on the guitar that are unique and these guys either did it or are still doing it.
TW: How did you become the guy that plays with all the big touring bands?
JH: I have no idea. I was just really lucky and believe that if you put out good energy and you are serious about what you do then good things will come. When playing with Phil Lesh, he would have recommendations and things that he needed from me as a guitarist. He was the band leader and I guess I could do what he wanted instead of just being up on stage and being that bitchin' guitar player doing as I pleased. If you do your best and do what is asked of you well then it puts you in a good place. If you put out good energy, you get good things back. Luck is the huge factor. Without luck it doesn't matter. There are so many good guitar players in every city that are better than me, but some of them will never leave their town. Luck is the biggie. Many people don't want to admit that. How else could you explain that some of the best musicians never get heard and never leave home and teach music and others are blessed beyond compare? I look at myself as being blessed beyond compare.
TW: What's it like playing with so many bands that rank among many people's favorites? Is it difficult to change styles so often to fit in with these bands styles? What is the most defining moment in your music career?
JH: There have been so many but obviously every night with Aquarium Rescue Unit was a new musical experience. Being in that band on a daily basis and living it and improving together every show was amazing. Money was not an issue because we were dead broke. There was something extra special musically about that.
When the Allman Brothers invited me to sit in because Dickie wasn't there in ‘93, that was amazing. They were a band I listened to when I was younger.
Any chance to play with Billy Cobham, Alphonso Johnson, T Lavitz with Jazz is Dead was amazing because those were some of my favorite musicians.
Playing with Phil Lesh and the Dead was surreal. Every single gig was a new educational experience.
And now, playing with Widespread Panic has really enabled me to find myself within the context of a big band.
It is easy to be inappropriate if you are not careful. These bands have very defined unique styles and it is easy to overstep your bounds. I did struggle with this a bit with the Allmans and found myself thinking about whether I was trying to sound too much like or not enough like Dickie. It was something that I put on myself. You don't want to do anything inappropriate.
I had to find a whole new way to play with Phil because it is nothing like playing with ARU. Widespread was a bit different because they were such an open palette. I want to play within Mikey's (Houser) kingdom as much as I can because his sound was so cool and amazing, but they let me be myself. They want me to feel free and that is a wonderful.
It's just an unbelievable gift. I thank God I am in a position to make a living playing music. I don't take it lightly and I try to do my best every night and not be screwed up on stage.
TW: Is there something you get when playing in the Jimmy Herring Band that is not present when sitting in on other bands stages?
JH: It's like a different set of muscles to flex. When playing with ARU is was about roots music and taking risks all the time. The harmony and chord progressions were simpler which made it easer to break the rules. Panic has all these songs and it is a huge muscle to flex over 23 years of history. They have their own language to improvise, you have to learn their style. You have to listen and react to them and be affected by what they are doing.
With my band, it is a more complex harmony and is more jazz fusion oriented. Instead of a D chord it may be D7b9. It is more difficult to play over, but we don't have 300 songs — we don't even have 30. It is a different set of muscles. If I could split the difference with my band in the future, that is goal. What I want to do is someday put all the things I learned with all these bands and play my own tremendous body of music with improv taking it into the next song.
Like Phil Lesh once said , “The songs are like islands out in the ocean and in between those islands we have to take a ride to get to the next islands.” And that's the improv.
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