Vincent Herring - Carrying on the Alto Sax Legacy 

Aww man, it's so incredibly cute seeing Vince geeking out about Phil woods' sound. Sometimes, one forgets that today's giants also have heros they looked up to. Fantastic interview!

12 minutes in and hearing about reed strength and tip opening is so helpful.

Jay, thank you so much for doing these interviews with the greats. We're at a point in time where the great jazz legends of the last century are pretty much all passed on. Vincent's generation is one that got to spend time with these greats and their stories seem like the last possible glimpses into the lives of these legends. I strongly believe in having strong historical records and if there is still knowledge that can be learned of the past we should do what we can to find it and keep it.

Yo I love this guy. His mindset to musicality is rare and beautiful

I feel vindicated. I've reduced my reed strength to 2.0-2.5 (Rico) on a Meyer 6, and felt like I was a wimp, though I loved my sound. Thanks, Vincent

Jay, your guest Vincent Herring was absolutely one of the most enjoyable musicians to listen to. He spoke so realistically and with such insight.

Love Vincent herring! I took lessons with him for a little while and the jam sessions at his house were always a great learning experience. He’s the real deal

Thanks Jay I am a neighbor of Vince and to be on the block with my favorite player is the best. I have been hearing him since he was a kid at various events and continue to get blown away. I am a player and he is real inspiration. Will contribute to your site when the book comes out.

Seemed like a badge of honor when I was in school to play on the hardest reed possible. Kids playing 3.5-4+ I was always perfectly happy with a 2-2.5. Maybe a 3 from time to time, but it was usually more work to get the sound. I’ve settled on 2.5. But I’m also not Vincent Herring, so don’t listen to me.

Dude the honesty and the stories of old! Another great one for the books. Thanks so much for these Jay. It's sad to think that soon we won't have any of these cats around to tell us stories about hearing all the legends live. This stuff is truly inspirational.

Ha! Ive got a Brecker story, too! I saw him three times, only ever in the UK, and saw Jethro Tull three times, only ever in the US. Well, the first time I saw him, it was in Glasgow, Scotland, and I hadn't been playing for a couple of years, though was practising a bit again. Anyway, I went to see him at the Mitchell Theater, and at some point in the gig, his playing was so profound - bordering on ethereal - and spoke to me so hard, and I was thinking so intensely, trying to take in everything that was hitting me, so much so that I had to get up and leave. I dont know if it was shame, or despair, or confusion or what, but I couldn't sit in the presence of it with a clear conscience. I literally had to go stand outside for a while, like a child who has to stand in the corner, but I had done it to myself! 😂 Eventualy, thankfully, I was able to go back in, and as I went in to this small venue space, he was getting ready for the next tune and we locked eyes, and I think he actually knew what i had just been through. I did that kinda waggling the prayer hands at him thing that people do and then kinda clutched at my heart with both hands, and he just gave me a slight bow, and then gestured me to my seat with his open hand and a loving smile, and then, with acknowledgement, he looked at me as if to say, "are you okay, and are you ready now?", and I jokingly - kinda - gripped onto my chair arms and nodded slightly, and he chuckled inaudibly, turned and kicked the band into the next number. And that was that. What an absolute master, and what a kind, beautiful human. ❤

PHENOMENAL interview! I've been thinking a lot lately about how young people learn jazz today, and how institutionalized it is. The amount of venues available today is at an all time low; I saw a good 10 venues close just in my first 5 years living in LA. And most of the biggest lessons I learned and the inspiration I received was from these live venues and jam sessions. Not to bash school, but it's not the same.

Absolutely LOVE this!!! So nice to experience his thoughts and perspectives coupled with stories and anecdotes like this, in a lengthy conversation. So opinionated (and well reasoned) and open minded at the same time! Gives jazz musicians of any level a lot to think about. Mind blowing alto sax player, too. I've had the great fortune to experience him live in a small club, with his clarity, fluidity and commanding presence. Loud and intense most of the time, it's so interesting to hear him talk so softly and nuanced!

In tune and control it - YOUR sound

Used to love seeing Vince with his band playing the Cube in NYC in mid '80's. That band kicked ass! Definitely one of the best NYC bands of that time.

Frank Strozier was truly great. Only heard him live twice, but his sound was truly soul-piercing.

What a humble guy, beautiful player.

What a generous human being! Great interview again Jay. Thank you so much for this. The stories are simply amazing.

thank you so much Jay !

THANK YOU... priceless

So first, I remember meeting Vincent on the street in Manhattan, probably 70's or 80's....he was playing and I had to walk up to him and meet him because he was just fantastic. I remember telling my dad that this cat Vinny Herring was playing on the street, but he will be BIG one day. My dad was Bernie Kaufman (studio with Sinatra, Bennett, Vaughn, Billie H., Ella, staff at NBC, Sullivan show, Como show, Tonight show NYC years, and on and on and on). He would "fix" his own reeds and used a meter to measure thickness, etc. Many NYC players (e.g. Eddie Daniels) would come to our home to have dad make a set of reeds for them. Anyway, it is a pleasure to listen to Vincent talk about this stuff, and more of a pleasure to listen to him play. Big talent. Peace.

Great interview.... Wonderful player....I've never heard anyone put more air through the horn than Vincent, but with a gorgeous sound!!!!!

I could listen to his stories all day! Thanks for a great interview.

Excellent interview. Thanks for sharing!

One of the best interviews I've seen... What a great musician and thinker!

Yes great interview!

Great one Jay, keep em' coming!

Honestly, I am not a fan of interviews but this one is so incredible, full of life! Congrats to both of you.

Love this interview I’ll have to rewatch it to really digest all the tidbits he gave.

Beautiful discussion. I'm returning to sax playing and this was an absolute resurgence in energy for me. Vincent has hit the main pointers many times in the interview. So many education learnings that are golden threads for making those innovative producers that don't grow in patchy classes, or expensive colleges. Absolute godsend. Thank you both. More please.

A great and awesome interview of one of my jazz favorites. I'm a big fan of Mr Vincent for years with that big beautiful sound of his.Thanks Jay for an awesome interview.

Not often i watch videos on yt that last more than 10 minutes, but this was important. great job for future historical reference!

One of my favorite players currently on the scene. Thank you for this interview! Hope you can get Bobby Watson there some time

Great interview. Thanks

Great man!! Thanks to both!!

Vincent is spot on. When I grew up in Oakland my teacher Bob Soder taught me to breath through my diaphragm. Great interview Jay, I really learned a lot. When I read Van Gogh's biography, he too mastered the basics before moving to impressionism.

My teacher realllllly improved my perceptions on embouchure and breathing. Today was my second lesson but I’m sure my teacher has saved me from a lot of rabbit holes. Every lesson we focus on long tones and breathing from the diaphragm(rudiments)…. Game changer. As a former guitar player, that really helped.

From history, they did the same thing to Charlie Parker. They told him you can’t play. He went on practicing and learning and nobody was better than him. Now we we have our beloved Charlie Parker.

Thank you. As a long time educator and performer, I really appreciate the things that were discussed.

Amazing interview!

❤ This is AWESOMENESS!!!😊

Beautiful Sunday night listening. Just gettin' into it now. Get that man a Reed Geek. It has absolutely changed my life. Again, attributable to you, dude.

Thank you both. What a lovely guy. 😂

I realized after switching to the lighter reeds, that dynamic range is affected at least as much by how soft you can play, as it is by how loud you can play. Since we use microphones at most venues, the loud end is no problem, and the soft reeds help with playing softly.

Jay you are a great interviewer, you just guide Vince onto different paths and listen to the journey unfold. This is your best yet, what profound insightful comments to help us all.

I haven’t played for years but I decided to hop back in full throttle, this was another piece of amazing content that is inspiring and amazing. 💪🏼💪🏼

great interview!

Great interview. ❤

Wow, i enjoyed and learned a lot from this interview. Well done!

Thank you.

Truth spoken here!

Great interview, really interesting points brought up

I have a great Vincent Herring story. He came to my college with the Louis Hayes Legacy Band and did a concert and then we all split up and did workshops with them. During the clinic a student was complaining that his student model Vito wasn't very good, Vince asks to play it, and Vince proceeds to play the most unbelievable shit. He gives it back to this student and Vince just says "Yeah there's nothing wrong with it" It's the player, not the gear.

OMG!! Hal Stein in Oakland Ca was my first saxophone teacher, too! In fact, I still own his old tenor

Thank you. What a great interview. I have always loved Vincent’s sound. Really enjoyed the section on his reed choice!

One of your top 5 interviews, very informative

For those who don’t know, Jay demonstrated master level interviewing skills. He just let Victor talk. Jay probably said 15 words throughout the whole interview. No need to insert ego.

And I'm a Memphis man, too..... well, Nashville, actually; but, did my university Jazz Performance studies at University of Memphis, back when it was still Memphis State University. ❤️🎉🌟😀

I heard at some point that the problem with reeds back in that period was because they were cutting them too soon. I had a whole bunch of reed that I put away because they sound bad, but I never threw them away. After a whole bunch of years, like ten fifteen years or so, I start trying them again and a lot of them were good to play with them.

Wow! That’s a revelation I need to hear! I’ll be using less strength reeds for now on.

I am looking forward to that jazz language book Vincent mentioned. Sounds like it’s going to be an amazing resource.

Great Interview and content Jay as always. Big shout out to Vincent also. Let the music play!

Excellent interview...i was late coming back from lunch...OUTSTANDING

Y'all pushed my wig back with that one.

That Earl Bostic piece, I still haven't heard another player play it.

Very intelligent explanations

Up there in orbit is Earl Bostic🎵🎶🎵🎷

Great video

Love these long form interviews Jay! Would be a fantastic to see you interview Sax Gordon from a r and b / soul perspective

Oh, wow. I took lessons at the same school in Vallejo!

Great interview! Interesting thoughts about Archie Shepp & Pharaoh Sanders, who had the "feeling" but not the foundation that Coltrane had. I appreciate Vincent's acknowledgement of McCoy Tyner's innovation.

The level of technique among today's rising stars is off the charts! Why haven't we had another Bird or Coltrane? That's a great question I've been asking myself for some time as well. I suppose it's just timing. You have to have the right talent matching up at the right time in the cultre. I think we are experiencing a really good time for Jazz, and I think more exciting things are going to come as this next generation matures more.

Don’t ever accept Anyone telling you You can’t Play Unless you cant and Really Suck Because your heart Is not in it. ONLY YOU KNOW Be Honest with Yourself

Vince is my 2nd favorite saxophonist. #1 is Cannonball Adderley (I don't think that Vince would be upset with me).❤❤❤

Great timing as I've been listening to Mike LeDonne's Heavy Hitters album w/ Vincent Herring on it and it's fantastic...also Eric Alexander and Jeremy Pelt - check it out! Also thanks Jay and Vincent for the enjoyable and informative interview :)

Loved hearing about the bit from Frank lol

I’ve been studying old cats. After you do that you can tell who listen to who and really goes back in time to see what the language is

Thank you for that conversation, Jay. What an amazing and informative guy! I was intending to listen to it in two parts, but it was so riveting I had to keep going!

Thank you so much M.Herring, and the team who did this material this is some work that heolps us getting better and it's pure gold. My english not being perfect, could someone tell me what is he talking about when it comes to Dave Douglas? Tutorials?/Music ? Do anyone have these ressources ? thanks

Idea's..yeah Freddie! Whew!

the king of man I can to be friend with

Loved that reed story in the 80s how they were so bad..glad we’re into the “Goden Age” now lol

Some say: Vincent who 😮🎶🎵🎷

Awesome interview jay- especially loved the idea that it’s your sound and being in tune and in control is the important thing seperate from your personality as a musician. Idk how I feel about the idea that there’s no Charlie Parker of today or John Coltrane of today- there are soooo many ridiculously good players out there today who could easily jam and match greats of the past. Bit of over-reminiscence there in my humble opinion, give credit to the amazing young musicians out there now

My name is Mundo great information about music especially about jazz and playing saxophone.

MInd blown that Vincent is playing #2 reeds.

I remember Paul Desmond saying in the 60's that if he got one perfect reed out of a box of 25 it was a lucky day.

Many in the Classical Field are dismissive of me relying on 2.5 Vandoren Blue Box, but lately Vandoren V-12’s, on my Temor, where I have to play Tenor II, in the Memphis Knights Big Band, I use a D’Addario, Jazz 7, which aspires to be like a Meyer 7, . . .I get an interesting, squeak-free experience out of Vandoren V-21 2.5’s, whose contour of its rails, are more pronounced. I arrived to Memphis, in 1978, . . . just in time to hear Frank Strozier, and George Coleman. Oddly enough, the Student Coumcil Association at U of TN College of Medicine, (There is NO Undergraduate UT college in Memphis. There. May be a BScience in Nursing but all else is the UTHSC Health Science Center, where my Son, went, for his MD). That committee, totally loved Memphis Royalty, and brought in George to play with then, Frank, and Phineas Newborn, Jr., James Williams, Mulgrew Miller, Alvie Givan. . . trumpeter, Bill Mobley, amazing saxophonist, a category of his own, Kirk Whalum, bassist, Sam Shupe, and later the great Tim Goodwin, and more amazing Saxophonists, Carl Wolfe, Lannie McMillan, Jim Spake, Jack Cooper, John Lux, & now, Dr. Michael Shults, then there is, Opthalmologist, Bill Hurd, and Drummer, Tom Leonardo, and other several. I left out tonnage of gifted folks, to whom I apologize big time. All this went on, in the UT, old auditorium, which is now improved for the first years, to get their lab-coats. That committee, is gone, and so, are the great great Memphis Jazz Mafia, gatherings There are just issues, with compensation in this market, which . . were a kitty established with a behest, maybe. Mainly, the listeners of modernity, are keen to put in the work, it takes to know with certainty, the achievements, of the above players. Besides Wally Fowler, Dr. Stewart Nunnely, Prof McBride at UMemphis,and Howard Lamb, I’m not filled in on our world of Jazz Trombone. So, I’m boiling down, the issue to that alone. Come to, Jazz, . . . work, at listening to it. The work, will become easier over time. The demand will rise out of that, maybe even, the wage for playing it will rise as well.

Great interview!What is Vincent talking about at the very end about corking off the pads? Does that only regard shipping? Thanks.

Henke 3.0... Meyer 6 Selmer Series III Black Lacquer Alto 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Amazing interview! Can someone break down what he was doing there when he was saying everything revolved around the 5th? EDIT: starts around 24:50

Has the shelved Phil Woods RCA album ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ Vincent was given a copy of been made available anywhere? I’d love to hear it.

When is Vincent’s book coming out and how and where can I get it?

great interview Jay. You didn't get in way. not only great player but great person. Dick

Did he mention when his book will be coming out? I know he has been working on it for a while.

Haaa! Sonny! I took a few lessons with my Idol.Haaa Yeah, Stitt!

At about 27:00, he talks about working with the 5, the 3, the 7th and then he plays several times and looks as if he’s trying to make a point with his playing. I think I have a pretty good working knowledge of theory and I know what the chord tones are that he’s referring to. But I haven’t a clue as to the point he’s trying to make.

Anyone have the vid of the gig that pops up throughout the video? I tried finding it but couldn't :/

I just threw my TV out the window 😂

I cannot play with any reed harder than a 2 1/2 and I have the same issue a Joe Henderson, when I play I am using 80% of my instruments volume and it does not sound loud... Many teachers I've had claim is due to playing with soft reeds... I am sure that's not the case and Herring's opinion seems to match mine....but I still do not why this happens... I have to bring the mike everytime, it sucks...