BIOGRAPHY BENJAMIN HERMAN
9-5-1968, London
Alto Saxophone/C-Melody Saxophone/Flûte

Benjamin Herman was twelve when he started playing saxophone and was already performing professionally at the age of thirteen. He has toured with large and small combos in the United States, Japan, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa and Russia, as well as appearing frequently at North Sea Jazz Festival. At 21 he received the Wessel Ilcken prize for best young jazz musician of the year. After which he was invited to take part in the 1991 Thelonious Monk Competition, along with Joshua Redman, Chris Potter and Eric Alexander. After graduating with honours at Hilversum Conservatory he studied with Dick Oatts at Manhattan School of Music in New York. By 25 Benjamin had worked with almost every respected group and musician in the Netherlands, and had started initiating his own projects.

Benjamin Herman Trio
Earlier recordings Cafe Alto and Benjamin Herman Plays Mengelberg were followed in 2002 by the trio's 3rd album, Benjamin Herman plays Jaki Byard and the 4th album 'Heterogeneity'. Benjamin invited rising French pianist Pierre Christophe to join the trio for the Jaki Byard record. A former fellow student of Benjamin's at the Manhattan School of Music, Pierre had studied under Byard in the 1990s.
It was after completing a ten-day tour of the Netherlands with Pierre a year before, that Benjamin suggested they record some of Byard's music in the studio. Following the success of the cd, a new tour was planned for mid-2003 including Spain's trumpeter of the year 2001, 23 year old Raynald Colom. Benjamin's earlier concerts with Pierre demonstrate his gift for finding and introducing new talent. Further on in 2005 'Heterogeneity' has won a prestigious Edison Award ( Dutch Grammy ) for best Jazz album of the year!
Also in 2005 'The Itch' is released featuring Han Bennink, Ernst Glerum and guest guitar player Anton Goudsmit. A more ' surf-guitar based, Dutch-impro, cocktail-jazz sort of thing' as Benjamin introduces the cd himself. 'Like Dick Dale on a date with Doris day in a raunchy Amsterdam coffee-shop'. In the Line -up with Anton Goudsmit a tour is being planned starting February 2006.

Benjamin Herman 4tet
In 1999 Challenge record company invited Benjamin to record an album in New York with leading American jazz musicians. The result was his fantastic Get In cd. Besides Benjamin and guitarist Jesse van Ruller, it features Idris Muhammad (drums) and organist Larry Goldings (Scofield/Prince). Benjamin is currently playing with Hammond organist Carlo de Wys, guitarist Jesse van Ruller and drummer Martijn Vink. Following several successful shows, culminating with VPRO TV's De Jong in Uitvoering, and World Port Jazz festival Rotterdam, the quartet will be appearing at new venues and festivals in the course of the years.

New Cool Collective
Several festival appearances followed the band's original monthly concerts at Paradiso, including gigs at North Sea Jazz Festival. In 1997 the band toured Germany and Benelux. More dates followed in 1998 leading to an appearance at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw and a tour of the UK, taking in Leeds, London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. October 1999 saw the release of NCC's third cd, Big (Challenge, A-Records). In 2000 the album received an Edison Jazz Award. Georgie Fame and Trijntje Oosterhuis are among the major artists who appear on the cd.
Invitations from abroad following the release of the album included concerts at Camden 'Mix' Festival (London) and Aberdeen Alternative Festival (Scotland). More recently, the band has toured South Africa, Russia, Germany and is a regular guest at the London Jazz Café. New Cool Collective recently received the Heineken Crossover Award. Former prize winners include JXL and Zuco 103. New Cool Collective can currently be seen twice a month at Amsterdam's Panama nightclub. Their new cd, Bring it On, has just been released by Sony and features Roachford and Geike from Hooverphonic. New Cool Collective is by far Holland's hottest big band.

The year 2005 brought new dimensions for NCC: their new record has been released in the spring (Dox Records). The cd is called 'Tripping' and features a 2nd cd with famous Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen! Also they have been touring abroad substantially and still do. Among this tour outstanding shows at Roskilde 2005, Sziget Budapest 2005 and Lowlands Holland 2005.

As one of Holland's most productive, ground-breaking jazz musicians, Benjamin is a much sought-after soloist. Artists he has performed with include Candy Dulfer, Lois Lane, Michiel Borstlap, Fra Fra Big Band, Georgie Fame, Rein de Graaf, Maarten van der Grinten, Jesse van Ruller, Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Idris Muhammad, Larry Goldings, Misha Mengelberg and Metropool Orkest.
Among the many prestigious projects he has been involved in over the years, Benjamin, in 2001 composed for and conducted Erik Moseholm's renowned European Jazz Youth Orchestra.

Discography
1992 Maarten van der Grinten/Ben Herman quartet, Between a Dog and a Lamppost
1994 Van der Grinten/Herman quartet, Psychodixie for C-Melody Saxophone
1997 New Cool Collective, Soul Jazz, Latin Flavours, '90s Vibe
1997 Benjamin Herman, Café alto.
1998 Van der Grinten/Herman Quartet, Lost Languages
1998 New Cool Collective, More
1999 Benjamin Herman, Get In. featuring Idris Muhammad
1999 New Cool Collective, Big
2000 Benjamin Herman, plays Misha Mengelberg
2002 New Cool Collective, Bring It On
2002 Benjamin Herman, plays Jaki Byard
2004 Benjamin Herman, Heterogeneity feat. Bert Joris, Misha Mengelberg
2005 Benjamin Herman, vinyl Haze/Skunkaholic feat. Ulco Bed, Wiboud Burkens, Jeroen Vierdag, Martijn Vink, Git Hyper
2005 Benjamin Herman, The Itch feat. Han Bennink, Anton Goudsmit, Ernst Glerum
2005 Benjamin Herman, vinyl Urban Poison feat. Ulco Bed, Wiboud Burkens, Jeroen Vierdag,
Martijn Vink,

*New Album 'the Itch' out now!*

Herman describes his album:
'Screw quantizing and Pro-tool clean-ups, squeaky clean surround stereo productions, hyper-audio and other great inventions. In the end nothing beats a good, filthy, stinking piece of music: it's the stench that keeps the music alive.
Anton Goudsmit agrees. We've been playing international festivals for over two decades in all kinds of settings.
Watching a bunch of old jazz cats swing is just as amazing as a great rock 'n roll concert. As long as it's dirty. Ernst Glerum and Han Bennink know what that's about. I gigged with Han for the first time when I was eighteen. It was an incredible experience. (…) Han and Ernst swing in a totally unique way, and it's stimulating to play with musicians who genuinely enjoy it when things don't go according to plan. After 'Heterogeneity' I wanted to go for a more surf-guitar based, Dutch-impro, cocktail-jazz sort of thing. Like Dick Dale on a date with Doris Day in a raunchy Amsterdam coffee-shop. Music that would reflect to a different side of my musical background. I drummed up some songs and invited Anton, Ernst and Han over for a session at Studio 150 and it turned out like this.'

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