Multiple Grammy Nominee, Trombonist, Composer, CONRAD HERWIG:
Reflections-Facing South, Featuring Eddie Palmieri and Luques Curtis
Available August 29 on Savant Records
"Tyner was an intensely assertive pianist, but if anything, Herwig and his co- arranger — fellow New Yorker Bill O’Connell — have beefed his tunes up even more . . . The real McCoy would have loved it."
– Chris Pearson, The London Times (Best Jazz Albums of 2024, four stars)
"Herwig and the Latin Side All Stars have been touring and playing together for more than 25 years, and this week, they will begin their newest residency." – NPR All Things Considered (on Herwig’s residency at The Django)
"In 1996, Conrad Herwig, a dexterous trombonist who split his time between mainstream jazz and Latin music, put an ambitious pan-musical idea into practice. With 'The Latin Side of John Coltrane,' Herwig applied the rhythmic conceits that he’d been using at his Latin gigs to the art of the iconic saxophonist . . . The mélange worked so well that Herwig began applying the concept to other prominent jazz artists, and a slew of enterprising recordings followed."
– Steve Futterman, The New Yorker
" . . . he’s probably best known for his series of Latin Side albums, beginning with The Latin Side of John Coltrane in 1996 and the recently added Latin Side of Charles Mingus. Now, Herwig and his band, the Latin Side All-Stars, are in residence at The Django for three months, playing Latin versions of jazz classics every Tuesday night."
– John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds - "Gig Alert"
"With his new album, Conrad Herwig, the trombonist, arranger-composer, and bandleader, shows how this music can be reinterpreted in 'The Latin Side of Mingus' . . . may the 'Latin side' series continue." – Will Friedwald, The New York Sun
"Herwig brings huge presence and when you think how powerful the motion he can generate combined with the sheer traction and moving parts of the latinised stylings it's a no-brainer that you need to listen to this." – Stephen Graham, Marlbank
"Herwig’s trombone solos bear the inheritance of classic mid-20th-century jazz styling without being trapped in homage. Meanwhile, both he and his band pull out all the stops in their commitment to a Latin presentation of Tyner."
– Ayana Contreras, DownBeat Magazine (four stars)
"a wonderfully broad scope of rhythmic and harmonic textures courtesy of thoughtfully conceived orchestrations and extended writing . . . like everything else here, keeps the listener wanting more." – James Rozzi, Jazziz Magazine
New York jazz artist Conrad Herwig has recorded almost 30 albums as a leader, receiving four GRAMMY®-nominations for his own projects. His previous recording for Savant Records was The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner. This album marked 27+ years of the "Latin Side . . ." series, and is a follow-up project to The Latin Side of Mingus (Savant, 2022), and The “Latin Side of …” tributes to Horace Silver (Savant, 2020), Joe Henderson (Half Note, 2014), Herbie Hancock (Half Note, 2010) Wayne Shorter (Half Note, 2008), Miles Davis (Half Note, 2004), and John Coltrane (Astor Place, 1996). These exciting and individualized projects feature an array of special guests including Randy Brecker, Ruben Blades, Michel Camilo, Joe Lovano, Eddie Palmieri, Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Valentin and many of the hottest players on the international scene.
Herwig, one of the most adventurous voices in Latin jazz, is back with a terrific new Savant release, Reflections-Facing South. This time, he’s teamed up again with the legendary Eddie Palmieri, a true icon of the genre, and bassist Luques Curtis, forming a trio that breaks all the rules. What sets this album apart, besides featuring the legendary Eddie Palmieri? There’s no drummer. In a musical style as rhythm-centric as Latin jazz, going drum-less is almost unheard of – but that’s precisely what makes this project so exciting. Curtis keeps the pulse moving forward with his rock-solid, melodic bass playing, while Palmieri fires up all his usual excitement and rhythmic complexity, using the piano like a percussion instrument. Herwig, of course, soars over it all with his high-flying, bold and fluid trombone sound. Herwig and Palmieri go way back, having played together on several of Palmieri’s Grammy-winning records.
With Reflections–Facing South, they strip things down to the essentials, and the result is Latin jazz like you’ve never quite heard it before – energetic, unfiltered and full of surprises.
More on Conrad Herwig:
Herwig is equally facile and prolific in the non-Latin arena. He has been voted #1 Jazz Trombonist in DownBeat Mag-
azine “Jazz Critic’s Poll” and nominated for “Trombonist of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on numerous occasions. In constant demand as a sideman, Herwig has performed with Joe Henderson, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Lovano (featured as a soloist on Lovano’s GRAMMY® Award winning 52nd St. Themes CD).
In the Afro-Caribbean genre he has toured with legends such as Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, and Michel Camilo. He is a longtime member of the Mingus Big Band (where he has served as musical director and arranger including on the 2011 GRAMMY- winning “Live at the Jazz Standard”). In other big band settings Herwig has also performed and recorded with Clark Terry, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis & Quincy Jones, and the Gil Evans Orchestra. All told Herwig has appeared on more than 200+ albums in what is now a 40 year career.
In 2006 Herwig received the Paul Acket Award (formerly the “Bird Award”). The prize, presented at the North Sea Jazz Festival, is intended for an artist who, according to the international jury, deserves the attention of a broader audience. Herwig is also a recipient of performance and teaching grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Conrad was elected to the Board of Advisors of the International Trombone Association and has taught at Mason Gross School of the Arts in the prestigious jazz program at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. where he currently serves as Artistic Director and Chair of Jazz Studies.
