POST # 137 Jimmy Herring on his Playing Style

"Oh, yeah. It was great, because I've never really fit into any one style. I couldn't play rock 'n' roll legitimately, because I was too influenced by jazz. I couldn't play jazz legitimately because I was too influenced by rock 'n' roll. I was in a country band for about seven months, and that almost killed me! Not because of the music as much as the guys I was playing with. It was a "Top-40" thing. But it was a good learning experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I couldn't play any of those things legitimately because I was so influenced by all of them. To me it was all the same thing - music. I thought that was going to be a problem until I played with Bruce, because that's what he wanted to do. He called it American Roots Music. It was bluegrass, blues, funk and jazz. Those were the four primary elements. We had this mandolin player; this guy was as good as anybody. Matt Mundy -- he's probably the greatest bluegrass mandolin player ever." - Jimmy Herring

( I really like Jimmy's fusion style. Here he plays with Bruce Hampton. - Ed)