Jeff Herr Corporation

: HAS PLAYED

North Sea Jazz Festival (NL), European Jazz Festival (GR), Sibiu Jazz Festival, Brasov, Ploiesti (RO), Guinness Jazz Festival (IR), Hanoi Jazz Festival, Ho-Chi-Minh City Jazz Festival (VN), Baltic tour (EE, LV, LT), Moscow City Jazz Festival (RU), Reims Jazz Festival, Nevers Jazz Festival (FR), Jazzschmiede (DE), ...

: PRESS QUOTES

"Powerful and captivating." - Fono Forum

"A remarkable album with a strong rhythmic and emotional impact." - Jazz Colours

“Révélation!” - Jazz Magazine/Jazzman

"A creative, sharply grooving trio." - Jazzwise

"Vigorous and organic." - Libération

: BIOGRAPHY

The Jeff Herr Corporation is a Luxembourgish jazz trio founded in 2003 by the drummer and composer Jeff Herr. At that time a quartet, it consisted of musicians that Herr had met during his studies in Maastricht: Carlo Nardozza (trumpet), Joonas Lorenz (Fender Rhodes and synthesiser) and Tom Van Acker (double bass). The band was signed by Waltzing-Parke Records (WPR) in 2004 and released their first album Modern Times in 2005. A second album, Conspiracy!, followed in 2007.

In 2013, the line up changed from four to three. The new corporation surprises with dexterity and presents itself as a linear trio, without the need for a harmonic instrument. Jeff Herr on drums, Maxime Bender on saxophone and Laurent Payfert on double bass form a highly skilled and energetic trio which relies on the compositional abilities of each of the three members.

Well arranged and structured songs as well as wild and free improvisations cover the bands large repertoire, filled with surprising cover songs from iconic pop artists such as David Bowie or Jimi Hendrix. Describing their style as “modern vintage”, the trio oscillates between a rather traditional, acoustic sound, without so-called modern sound elements such as keyboard, synthesiser or guitar effects, and contemporary compositions with improvised sections that enable the musicians to develop their play to the fullest. The strength and tightness of the band emerge from a strong rhythmical impact and emphasise the origins of music: the groove.

Numerous concerts, in the Benelux, France, Germany, the UK, Romania, Greece, Japan, Vietnam, India and Russia, contributed to the Jeff Herr Corporation’s both national and international success. In 2015, the band received the Export Artist of the Year Award (music:LX) in the Jazz category. The album Layer Cake was released in November 2014 and received critical as well as public acclaim.

A new album has been released in November 2017. Entitled Manifesto, the trio has been joined on several songs by the american guitarist Adam Rogers, known for his work in the modern jazz idiom and his numerous collaborations with musicians such as Norah Jones, Ravi Coltrane or Marcus Miller. His guitar play, rooted in the acoustic jazz music and influenced by Pat Martino, George Benson and Wes Montgomery, provides the Jeff Herr Corporation with a unique aspect and a new, intriguing sound.