CD review: Steve Herberman – Counterbalance 2019: Video, CD cover

This album is a collection of solo guitar recorded live with no edits. Music ranges from jazz composers such as Billy Strayhorn, Bill Evans, Charlie Parker, Joe Pass, and originals by Steve Herberman. Also features great American popular songs. Recorded on a Comins Concert model 7 string through a GLB Sound Gig 50 SH, signature amp.

“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… His sheer command of the instrument 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, further elevates Herberman far above the pack of other talented Berklee grads…definitely worth checking out for fans of advanced jazz guitar.” – Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes (05/07)

Steve Herberman is a graduate of Berklee College Of Music majoring in Jazz guitar performance. He began playing a seven-string guitar in 1993. Steve Herberman has performed at venues such as Birdland in NYC, Spazio in Los Angeles, the NAMM shows in Anaheim and Nashville, and at the North Wales jazz guitar weekend in the U.K. and a recent Italian tour. Closer to home he has performed at Blues Alley, the Smithsonian Jazz Cafe, and the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts. Steve has performed with renowned musicians such as Keter Betts, Buster Williams, Gary Bartz, Drew Gress, Chuck Berghofer, Mark Ferber, Matt Clohesy, Colin Stranahan, Jim Snidero, Harvie S, Ali Ryerson, Steve Williams, Steve LaSpina, Jeff Hirshfield, John Pisano and many more.

Steve Herberman has recorded four CDs as a leader and two CD’s as co-leader; Thoughtlines (2001) Action:Reaction (2006) Ideals (2008) Between Friends (2015) A Little Closer (2018) and Counterbalance (2019.) His recordings have received wide critical acclaim in JazzTimes, Downbeat, Jazz Improv and many others. Steve’s recent CD, Ideals, reached the Top 10 on the JazzWeek chart for national airplay remaining on the chart for 16 weeks. Action:Reaction, a CD of Steve’s original music, was chosen as one of the top 50 CD’s of 2007 by Jazz Improv magazine. Steve Herberman’s original composition “What We Do” won first place in the jazz category of the 2018 USA Songwriting Competition.

Steve Herberman taught jazz guitar on the faculty of Towson University for 14 years and is presently teaching guitar at the Washington Conservatory Of Music and Sidwell Friends School. He is also on the faculty of  the Jazz Band Masterclass and teaches at his home studio in addition to giving lessons via Skype. He has presented masterclasses in the U.K. and Italy and at many universities across the U.S. Steve has written instructional material for Downbeat magazine, Fingerstyle Guitar Journal, Fingerstyle 360, Mel Bay’s Guitar Sessions, Just Jazz Guitar and Modern Guitars webzine. He is an online instructor for www.mikesmasterclasses.com where he has produced over 50 instructional jazz video lessons. Steve Herberman has been featured on the covers of Fingerstyle Guitar Journal and Just Jazz Guitar Magazine with his Comins guitar that he has endorsed for many years. He is a GLB amplifier artist with his own signature model amp, the GIG 50SH, the flagship model for GLB Sound.

1. For George
2. Buzzy
3. I Surrender Dear
4. For Django
5. Blood Count
6. Girl from Englewood Cliffs
7. Lush Life
8. Will the Sun Rise?
9. Time Remembered
10. My Foolish Heart
11. Turn out the Stars