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Jimmy Herring

zigzag

By zigzag
in The Gibson Lounge

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rct

rct

Posted
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When the late Allman Brothers Band (Gregg and Butch) made that really genius decision to sell all the tickets for the tour and then fire Betts, I had the extreme displeasure of seeing them with Jimmy Herring, the last time I went to an ABB show.

 

To say "like a deer in headlights" would be far to kind for Mr. Herring. I'm sure he's a great guitar player but man he was just not in his league that night.

 

rct

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pippy

pippy

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I'm slightly embarrased to admit that I had never even heard of the guy before.

 

From some of the 'tube comments I see he was (is?) in a band called Widespread Panic and from comments here he's played with the Dead and ABB?

I loved his playing but agree with Kennis in that I'd have preferred some vocals to mix up the textures a bit. 9 minutes of virtuosity can be 'too much of a good thing' - a bit like eating too many sweeties.

And whilst I understand the (justified) ire which is attendant upon seeing Mr. Herring instead of Dickey Betts I wouldn't blame the former for the situation.

 

I'll check out more of his stuff when I have time. He clearly is in pretty-much full command of his instrument and equipment.

Very Jeff-Beck like - and I mean that in a good way. Surf's comment on the jazzy side of his playing strikes a chord(pun) with the JB comparison, too. IMHO, of course.

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Z-Z !

 

P.

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zigzag

zigzag

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Like Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring is from North Carolina, played with the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead, and runs in many of the same circles. IMO, JH plays with more virtuosity than Haynes or Betts or Garcia, and less guts, but that doesn't mean, to me, he plays with any less appeal (more, in fact). His last two projects have been more jazz/fusion in scope, but he started out as a rocker and that is his legacy. He is a Berklee graduate and is often found as an guest instructor at the Georgia Institute of Music (where my teacher worked with him) and as a lesson contributor in a few of the guitar rags.

 

A good buddy of mine heard him with the ABB and thought he sounded great... don't know what happened when rct heard him, but I know he played with them while the Betts problems were going down. Apparently, that was not a pretty scene.

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saturn

saturn

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I thought it sounded great. [thumbup] Like Pippy said, he has some Beck like qualities to his playing. Thankfully he does less "pulling" notes with the whammy bar than Beck. [rolleyes]

 

At 9 minutes it is a little long to view while web surfing, but I bet live it didn't seem as long.

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jannusguy2

jannusguy2

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Jimmy is a great player. I saw him with Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit and another band called Jazz is Dead that had guys from Little Feat, Dixie Dreggs and I believe Billy Cobham. Whatever, he was a school teacher who played weekends for awhile before he got grabbed up by these heavyweights. A nice, unassuming fellow with mad skills. A good guy deserving of his success.

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rct

rct

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Like Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring is from North Carolina, played with the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead, and runs in many of the same circles. IMO, JH plays with more virtuosity than Haynes or Betts or Garcia, and less guts, but that doesn't mean, to me, he plays with any less appeal (more, in fact). His last two projects have been more jazz/fusion in scope, but he started out as a rocker and that is his legacy. He is a Berklee graduate and is often found as an guest instructor at the Georgia Institute of Music (where my teacher worked with him) and as a lesson contributor in a few of the guitar rags.

 

A good buddy of mine heard him with the ABB and thought he sounded great... don't know what happened when rct heard him, but I know he played with them while the Betts problems were going down. Apparently, that was not a pretty scene.

 

For me, your post brought two reactions, one being my only experience with Jimmy Herring, and it wasn't a good one. Mrs had never seen the Allmans, that was about my 50th time seeing them. Selling the tickets and then firing the guy that wrote at least half the songs, kept the band going through the absolute worst of times, offered his home as a place to get the four of them together for the 20th anniversary, making sure they appeared for that where and when they should have, and then getting them as a band back together was only half of it. Where It All Begins had been their last effort, Betts had a dozen songs ready to go, wanted to get in the studio and get some of them down and out. The others flat out refused and wanted to just tour the same stuff, which is a lot, but Begins was a pretty dang good record, so why not? Half the band aren't Allmans, they get nothing for songs written by The Allman Brothers, and especially songs written by individuals. Betts did not want a record chock full of new peoples material sold as an ABB record, he felt that him and Gregg could do some pretty great stuff. So they fired him.

 

Your post said this guy does it all. My reaction was a simple example of him not doing it all at all. That night in AC was just bad, the next dozen or so were just as disappointing to everyone that had already bought tickets. They managed to get through it with Herring, but he just didn't fit and his "jam band" style should have proven pretty quickly to people that the Allmans never were a "jam band" and resented being lumped in with that stuff.

 

But he's a great guitar player, I have heard ARU, I think Oteil was their bass player for a while, he has been ABB bass player since Allen passed away. Well, was. I have no idea who that halloween gang dressed up as the Allmans has today.

 

rct

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Hall

Hall

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Thanks zigzag. Word is around the Cincinnati area, Jimmy is a guy who attempts to keep his head on straight. He knows how to play the guitar for certain and that is his card. Enjoyed the video as it has been some time since I saw him play.

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pippy

pippy

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...Seems a good egg...

Damn! Now I'm 28 minutes behind schedule!......lol!

 

Very interesting clip, pauloon.

I loved the discussion about the fret radius (20"!) and twin-vol setup on the Strat!

The Baritone sounds an intriguing proposition, too. I'd never thought about having one before but that clip has given me some ideas...

 

Thanks for posting!

 

P.

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pauloon

pauloon

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Damn! Now I'm 28 minutes behind schedule!......lol!

 

Very interesting clip, pauloon.

I loved the discussion about the fret radius (20"!) and twin-vol setup on the Strat!

The Baritone sounds an intriguing proposition, too. I'd never thought about having one before but that clip has given me some ideas...

 

Thanks for posting!

 

P.

 

Yep,was very interesting to hear him talk......I also found that 20'' radius discussion ''eyeopening''.........baritone...still not sure how to handle those tones....mind I only have a v.g strat to experiment with......and I can only stay with fender for a while!!..before i have to get the gibsons back out!

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Karloff

Karloff

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When the late Allman Brothers Band (Gregg and Butch) made that really genius decision to sell all the tickets for the tour and then fire Betts, I had the extreme displeasure of seeing them with Jimmy Herring, the last time I went to an ABB show.

 

To say "like a deer in headlights" would be far to kind for Mr. Herring. I'm sure he's a great guitar player but man he was just not in his league that night.

 

rct

 

I saw the same tour. I walked out after the show with the same feeling. As much as I love the ABB, its just not the same without Dickey.

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