TRIBUTE

There are few musicians in the Greater New Bedford area who have contributed more to furthering the art form of jazz music than Herbie King. As an educator who taught privately and spent many hours performing to the delight of young audiences throughout Massachusetts and as an energetic and enthusiastic performer; Herb King dedicated his life to the drums and jazz music. Herb was an amazing musician and drummer. He could play with such power that the sound would knock right into your body but not be loud to your ears. He could also pick up a pair of brushes or malletsand accompany a vocalist or soprano saxophonist with great care and tenderness.

There are many musicians in the New England area and beyond who knew Herb for a lot longer than I did. My memories involve watching him with Bob Greene at an early age at New Bedford clubs and on the stage at the jazz festivals at UMASS/Dartmouth, then known as S.M.U. Later on, I had the pleasure watching Herb perform in a trio of different settings, churches, clubs, and schools which are all very different and unique settings. He was so consistent bringing the exact same love for the music to each place and often times the best part was watching him "hold court" after the service or performance. He loved to talk to people who came up afterward, whether it was his local fans of many years or people who had never thought of jazz music being a spiritual experience in a house of worship or wide-eyed children asking him about his drum kit. In contrast to Herb's prompt and quick arrivals for gigs, after the job he seemed to take his time, knowing he could impart just as much of his wisdom to the folks who always came forward. Herb also meant a great deal to all the musicians he taught and performed with. He influenced so many younger players as a mentor figure.

On the bandstand Herb could cover all the basses. He took everything very seriously. He was a great accompanist, listening to what every player was doing and adding just enough to support the sound. He had a great sense of humor in his playing. Herb always picked up on just the right riff someone was dealing with and he would "talk" back and forth with soloists in the right way. His drum solos were so spectacular as well and again, he knew exactly what sound he wanted. I remember once he nicely asked me not to comp chords in the lower registers of the piano during his solo because the frequencies were clashing with his tom toms. When Herb was locked in with a great bass player, there was no one who could swing as hard as he could.

Herbie led and played for countless jazz ensembles in this area. Memorable concerts included over twenty years of Fourth of July services at the New Bedford Unitarian Church of New Bedford as well as many Martin Luther King Day Celebrations.
More recently, Herb's two Jazz Vespers offerings in Fairhaven at The First Congregational Church will never be forgotten. He was so proud of playing some of the Ellington music from the sacred concerts and most especially to be able to honor Martin Luther King with an amazing improvisation over the “Journey To The Mountain Top" speech. As always, many of Herb's fans from the New Bedford area came out to hear him play and were mesmerized by his energy at the drum set, his technical abilities, and his immense amount of creativity.

written with great respect: Matt Richard, Fairhaven, Massachusetts