Positive Michel Herr

• 1 The Right Choices? 05:59
• 2 Pages and Chapters 08:16
• 3 Unexpected Encounters 09:13
• 4 The Positive Side 06:43
• 5 I Think of You 07:07
• 6 Modules 04:33
• 7 Chemistry and Mystery 06:44
• 8 String Positive 05:37
• 9 Second Look 08:16
• Total Runtime 01:02:28

Info for Positive

A full 30 years after the release of the album “Intuitions” on the Igloo label, pianist and composer Michel Herr come back with positivity. Welcome music where the spontaneity of jazz and the magic of strings meet in a fascinating dialogue.


“With a hundred albums to his credit, Michel Herr is internationally known for his talents as a composer, pianist and jazz arranger. These include two Igloo albums as a leader, “Intuitions” in 1989 and “Notes of Life” in 1998. He has played with jazz greats: Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, Randy Brecker, Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans and others.

For several years, Herr has been refocusing on writing (compositions and arrangements) and started a large number of projects: big band, nonette, saxophone section, strings, chamber orchestra, choir, symphony orchestra, etc.

“Positive” presents part of this repertoire arranged for sextet and string quartet and brings together 10 high-flying creative musicians: 6 renowned jazzmen on the European scene and all leading soloists, a string quartet and singer Tutu Puoane who lays down ‘I Think of You’.

Chiseled melodies, subtle harmonies and warm grooves bring the music an organic, emotional and truly accessible character. A magician of soundscapes, Michel Herr manages to get contrasting musical universes into conversation. The colours are sometimes frank, sometimes pastels. The emotion is never far away…

Bert Joris, trumpet, flugelhorn
Paul Heller, tenor saxophone
Peter Hertmans, guitar
Nathalie Loriers, piano
Sam Gerstmans, double bass
Dré Pallemaerts, drums

Benoît Leseure, 1st violin
Pierre Heneaux, 2nd violin
Jean-François Durdu, alto
Merryl Havard, cello
Special guest:
Tutu Puoane, vocals (on “I Think of You”)

Michel Herr
Born in Brussels (B), Michel Herr has built in parallel a rich career as a pianist, a composer and an arranger.

As a pianist, Michel Herr has played with renown jazz soloists : Joe Henderson, Chet Baker, Archie Shepp, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Charlie Mariano, Johnny Griffin, Slide Hampton, Art Farmer, Lee Konitz, John Abercrombie, Billy Hart, Philip Catherine, Daniel Humair, Aldo Romano, Palle Danielsson, Norma Winstone, Riccardo Del Fra, Richard Galliano, François Jeanneau, Paolo Fresu, etc…, as well a the cream of the Belgian jazz scene.

For almost 2 decades, he played with Toots Thielemans in the whole world.

Michel Herr led several bands (trio, quintet, nonet and big band), in which he played his numerous compositions.

He is also an internationally renown composer and arranger.

As early as 1988, he receives the Monaco Jazz Composition Prize. His compositions and arrangements earned him an international fame. Besides his own groups, they have been played by prestigious European jazz orchestras (big bands of the WDR, NDR, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, etc…) and by ensembles of various formats (chamber, strings, symphony, choir, cordes, etc…)

2008 sees the release of a big band double album of his compositions played by the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, titled « The Music of Michel Herr ». More collaborations with that orchestra followed up : with vocalist David Linx and « We have a dream » (2017/2018), a project with South African vocalist Tutu Puoane, which was presented worldwide (a.o. at the Lincoln Center in New York).

Currently, Michel Herr has refocused his activities on writing (compositions and arrangements) and is frequently asked to write for jazz projects involving large ensembles. The Metropole Orchestra (NL) and Ivan Paduart recorded his arrangements for the album « Crush ». In Switzerland, he arranges the album « Colors of time », (a suite by Thierry Lang) for David Linx, choir and chamber orchestra. In 2017, he signs compositions and arrangements for the album of saxophonist Fabrice Alleman, « Udiverse », with chamber orchestra (30 musicians). He collaborated with the « Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie » for the « String project » album of guitarist Philip Catherine (Echo Jazz Award in Germany) and « An American Songbook », with Julie Mossay, Steve Houben and Nathalie Loriers.

He also wrote for « the Real Sax Section » (Steve Houben, 5 saxophones), for bassist Daniel Romeo, etc… In 2019, the cd « Michel Herr – Positive / Music for sextet and String quartet » proposes 9 compositions for 11 musicians.

Michel Herr has recorded around a hundred albums, as a pianist and/or composer/arranger, under his name or with prestigious solists, such as Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans, Bill Frisell, Archie Shepp, Philip Catherine, Tom Harrell, etc…

He also wrote music for movies (« Just Friends ») and television.

This album contains no booklet.