Notes
Action: Reaction was listed among the top 45 jazz CD's of 2007 in Jazz Improv Magazine. On this superb outing, seven-string jazz guitarist Steve Herberman exhibits a vast harmonic palette involving uncommon stretches on the fretboard along with a real capacity to burn on fluent single note lines. Alternating between a deft fingerstyle approach on rich chordal melodies, a technique that allows for more contrapuntal voicings, and using a pick on accelerated single note runs, Herberman gets the best of both worlds on his instrument. Hearing his sheer command of the instrument on pieces like the burning bop-fueled "Cos' Groove," the darkly introspective "Negev Journey" and jaunty swingers like "Be Nimble" and "Sphericity" immediately puts one in mind of such jazz guitar masters as Joe Pass, Joe Diorio, Lenny Breau, and Gene Bertoncini. His nuanced touch, excellent tone, tasteful, even phrasing and fresh writing style, particularly on delicate ballads like "Halcyon Air" and "Nearly Time," the challenging intervallic vehicle "Snap!" or the angular boogaloo "Worry Not," further elevates Herberman far above the pack of other talented Berklee grads now looking to find their place in the jazz world. - Bill Milkowski (May 2007 issue of Jazz Times) This Steve Herberman CD (Action: Reaction) is everything it's title suggests and is truly something out of the ordinary. His compositions put a smile on your face and they feel "at home" right from the first listening. Each one has a mind of it's own; all of this a major achievement for an album of original music. Steve's improvising is uniquely fresh with melodic ideas that twist and turn and perk your interest with occasional elements of humor as well. There is a constant groove in his solo lines. He shows prowess harmonically and linearly with an abundance of chops and with an exceptional clarity to it all. His fellow players Drew Gress and Mark Ferber are also brilliant soloists and display the same kind of ingenuity, creativity, freshness and response at all times. The trio maintains a general "cooking" quality throughout the entire recording. -Jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini Warm, subtle, compelling are the only words I feel after imbibing the great talents of this fine jazz guitarist, one Steve Herberman. I note some cogent liner notes by the equally great jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini whom I had the honor to hear a few days ago. Gene suggests 'the cooking quality throughout the entire recording.' Gene's right!! There's a definite underpinning of solid music held up by a sound base of challenging harmonies and intellectual melodic lines contained herein. And, Steve & his group rise to the call. I will suggest that being musical on guitar is the prime directive of jazz guitarist Steve Herberman. Last, when Steve's compositional flair comes into play on the disc, it binds together the various strands of his project. The results as you will see are very impressive. -George W. Carroll/The Musicians' Ombudsman 'The compositions are first rate, the playing world class, and the interaction breathtaking.' - Matthew Warnock, Just Jazz Guitar (2/06) 'Wonderful playing, writing, production, solos. Great music!' - Gary Husband (Allan Holdsworth Group) 'Herberman's propensity for following a melodic idea, or expanding a voicing, far beyond the written harmony brings to mind such giants as Bill Frisell and John Scofield.'-Guitar One magazine (02/07) 'Action: Reaction is a tribute to the spirit of modern jazz guitar.'- 20th Century Guitar magazine (2/07) 'Herberman has written complex and interesting music that will hold your attention... His guitar lines are consistently inspired and inventive... This CD will take a well deserved place alongside some of the classics of that (guitar/bass/drums) genre....' -Curtis Davenport, Jazz Improv (01/07) Achieving a fresh and distinctive voice with guitar trio is no easy task, but Steve Herberman, with Drew Gress and Mark Ferber, has done just that with
