An enjoyable album that features some imaginative
arrangements and some excellent playing.
Edison Herbert. “All I Need”. (Self Released)
Edison Herbert – guitar, Neville Malcolm – bass, Winston Clifford – drums, Sean
Hargreaves, Ben Gilbert – piano with guests;
Cherisse Scott – vocals, Kim Cypher – sax, Kevin Robinson – flugel horn, Chris Wells –
drums, Graham Maynard – keyboards
In August 2023 I enjoyed a performance by the guitarist and composer Edison Herbert and
his quartet at that year’s Brecon Jazz Festival. Herbert was accompanied by a specially
curated group featuring pianist Terence Collie, bassist Elliot Roffe and drummer Magdalia
Tamez. The programme featured a mix of Herbert originals and jazz standards with
Herbert proving to be a skilled guitar soloist and a good audience communicator. A well
constructed and carefully paced set was very well received by the audience at Brecon’s
Castle Hotel and my review of this performance can be found as part of my Festival
coverage here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/brecon-jazz-festival-2023-main-weekend-
friday-11th-august-2023
Herbert was appreciative of my favourable review of the Brecon show and I’m grateful to
him for forwarding me a review copy of his latest album “All I Need”, which was released
on his own Eherb imprint in August 2024. It represents Herbert’s fourth full length
recording and follows “My Favourite Tunes” (2014) , “Time For Love” (2021) and “More
Beautiful Each Day” (2023).
Edison (aka Eddie) Herbert is a Leeds born, London based guitarist and composer who
studied at Yorkshire College of Music and at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama in
London. His primary guitar influences are Wes Montgomery and George Benson, and
elements of both can be readily detected in his playing. Benson, and particularly his 1976
“In Flight” album, represents a particularly significant source of inspiration and Herbert’s
own playing has won the approval of Benson himself.
In addition to his jazz career Herbert has also has served as the musical director for the
West End show “Unforgettable” and been part of the band for the Bob Marley themed
show “Get Up, Stand Up”. He has also appeared on the Sky Arts television programme
“Guitar Star”, where his performance attracted the attention of Benson.
For this latest album Herbert has enlisted the services of a core quartet featuring Neville
Malcolm on bass and the great Winston Clifford at the drums. Piano duties are divided
between Sean Hargreaves and Ben Gilbert and the recording also features guest
appearances from a variety of musicians, but I’ll come to these in due course.
The programme features the usual mix of Herbert originals and covers, but this time round
the outside material is comprised of pop songs rather than jazz standards. Indeed the
album commences with an imaginative arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie
Amour” that sees Clifford giving the tune a Latin lilt and Herbert introducing his trademark
Benson inspired archtop guitar sound. The leader shares the solos with Gilbert, who
occupies the piano stool for the first two tracks.
The first original is “Three Reasons”, which borrows more obviously from the jazz tradition
and which exhibits more of a Montgomery influence. Herbert has spoken of the importance
of melody in his music and that is very much in evidence here as he shares the solos with
pianist Gilbert and bassist Malcolm, the latter with a suitably tuneful excursion on double
bass. The excellent Clifford gives a finely nuanced performance behind the kit, alternating
between sticks and brushes as the music requires.
Hargreaves takes over piano duties for “Time Will Tell”, another original that nods to the
jazz and bebop traditions. Indeed it’s Hargreaves that takes the first solo, introducing
himself as a fluent and imaginative piano soloist. He’s followed by the agile Herbert, who
wraps fleet fingers around some tricky, bebop style melody lines.
The first guest appearance comes from vocalist Cherisse Scott who delivers the lyrics in a
jazz / soul adaptation of Andrew Gold’s hit song “Never Her Let Her Slip Way”. Soulful
vocals alternate with brief scatting episodes in an arrangement that places most of the
emphasis on Scott’s singing, with the leader’s guitar occasionally assuming the lead.
The original “Let’s Talk A Walk” introduces another guest with the appearance of
saxophonist Kim Cypher. Ushered in by Clifford at the drums the piece has a subtle funk
feel with Cypher’s tenor sax featuring prominently in the arrangement. However its Herbert
who takes the first solo, followed by Cypher’s earthy tenor.
Clifford also introduces an arrangement of The Beatles tune “With A Little Help From My
Friends”, a song already famously transformed by Joe Cocker. Following a more extended
drum intro than previously Herbert takes up the melody in an effective jazz styled
arrangement that also features piano (Hargreaves), double bass and brushed drums.
Solos come from Herbert, who combines soaring melody with sophisticated jazz chording,
and Hargreaves, with a further brushed drum feature for Clifford.
The breezy and uplifting original “E’s Dance” includes contributions from both Hargreaves
and second keyboard player Graham Maynard, but the main focus is on Herbert’s own
playing as he soars joyously above Clifford’s busy rhythms. Eventually Hargreaves is also
featured more fully with a melodic and lyrical piano solo.
Herbert’s title track also places the emphasis on melody, but this time within a ballad like
arrangement that includes a melodic double bass solo from the impressive Malcolm. The
bright, melodic sound of the leader’s guitar is augmented by Clifford’s sensitive and
imaginative brush work. I’ve always thought of Clifford as being one of the UK’s most
inherently ‘musical’ drummers. It comes as no surprise to learn that he is also sometimes
featured as a vocalist.
The final track is “Sunrise”, a suitably uplifting piece with a strong melodic theme that
features the always clean, ringing sound of Herbert’s guitar alongside guest Kevin
Robinson’s flugel horn. The two combine very effectively as well as delivering fluent
individual solos. With no piano featured Malcolm and Clifford add subtly propulsive
rhythmic support.
“All I Need” is an enjoyable album that features some imaginative arrangements and some
excellent playing. Herbert is a fluent guitarist with a clean, orthodox style who eschews the
use of effects, but who doesn’t shy away from his acknowledged influences of Benson and
Montgomery. His style embraces complex jazz harmonies and sophisticated chording but
his music remains melodic and readily accessible. To these ears it strays a little too close
to ‘smooth jazz’ or ‘easy listening’ at times and it would be nice if he roughened things up a
bit occasionally, although of course I understand that this is really not what he’s about.
There is undoubtedly much to enjoy here and like much of the best jazz the music will gain
even more in live performance, certainly if Herbert’s Brecon Jazz Festival appearance is
anything to go by.
The JazzMann
