Search - Conrad Herwig :: Latin Side of John Coltrane

Must Buy

Russell Diederich | Littleton, CO United States | 07/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first saw Conrad Herwig when he shared the stage with, my favorite jazz player, Brian Lynch at the local Jazz Festival. I was amazed by this man's ability to play trombone. I had never really thought of the trombone as a solo instrument until I actually watched Herwig play. The songs they played with a jazz orchestra backing them had me hunting down an album by Herwig. This ranks as one of my favorite albums of my collection. The Latin beat that permeates through all of these songs really gives the album flavor. With the upbeat songs of "Blue Train" and "Satellite" it is hard not to get excited and let your foot-tapping turn into full blown dancing. This album has a wonderful version of "Impressions", and "A Love Supreme" just pulls at your emotions. Herwig's solos are passionate and soulful. He doesn't seem to think about his music, he just feels it. This album is chalked full of great musicians. Brian Lynch and Ray Vega on trumpet, Eddie Palmieri on piano, Gary Smulyan on sax, and thirteen other musicians round out this work of art. They all have a love for playing music, and they all sound as if they are having the time of their lives. If you love a Latin beat, jazz and John Coltrane don't hesitate to get this album."

Absolutely Perfect

Roger Townsend | Houston, TX USA | 11/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This mixture of Coltrane's genius with latin jazz could not be better. Herwig's trombone makes a wonderful contrast to the 'Trane's sax sound. Brian Lynch on trumpet is simply one of the very greatest trumpeters around, and the rest of the band are first-rate. I must mention maestro Eddie Palmieri, whose eternal Mozartian genius shines throughout this album. Without detracting from Herwig in the least, this could just as easily have been labeled another disc from Eddie, since virtually all the musicians (including Herwig) are from his band. GREAT!"

Works on many levels

Todd Ebert | Long Beach California | 04/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I initially bought this recording to hear a different, latin perspective on the music of John Coltrane. And although I'm very satisfied and impressed with the compositions that re-interpret Coltrane's music, I'm even more impressed with Conrad Herwig's trombone playing which was an unexpected, pleasant surprise. I've always enjoyed hearing trombone from the likes of Curtis Fuller and Clifton Anderson, but to hear it highlighted on this recording as a main solo instrument presented me with an ear-opening experience. And the other dozen+ musicians who contributed to this recording are equally up to the task; from Brian Lynch (trumpet) to Ronnie Cuber (sax); from Eddie Palmieri (piano) to Milton Cardona (congas), they sound well tuned and orchestrated. This music transcends any particular genre and I recommend it to anyone who simply enjoys good music. Finally, I disagree with the first reviewer who claims Africa gave birth to Jazz and Afro-Cuban Jazz. Africa did not give birth to this art form any more than Europe did. This music has always seemed to me to represent one of the purest and artistic expressions of freedom and democracy in action...nuff said."