JIMMY HERRING AND THE 5 OF 7 Head to Japan for their First International Appearances.

4-night residency at The Blue Note and Cotton Club Follows US Tour Dates.

The group is headed to Japan for a four–night stand starting November 25^th at The Blue Note in Tokyo and then to Cotton Club for 3 nights. Each night of the tour will feature 2 sets. This is notably Herring’s first performances as a bandleader outside of North America.  “I am very excited, extremely excited to go to Japan.” Herring says,” I have been wanting to do this for many many years…”

The first run of tour dates begin on September 12th in Denver with stops scheduled in Chicago, St. Louis, Savannah,  Nashville, New Orleans and beyond. This U.S. leg will wrap up with a hometown show at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 20th. 

The 5 of 7 finds Herring joined by bassist Kevin Scott, drummer Darren Stanley, longtime collaborator Matt Slocum on keyboards (Hammond B3, clavinet), and vocalist and guitarist Rick Lollar. “Rick, Matt, and Kevin had a band together called King Baby,” explains Herring from his home in Atlanta, “and I heard their record…I couldn’t help but think, man, if I could get together, play some of Rick’s songs, some of my songs, some covers, and maybe write a few things together, we may be on to something…”

From fatback, roadhouse R&B to more expansive, jazz-inflected explorations, The 5 of 7 demonstrates Herring‘s chops not just as a musician, but as a bandleader and catalyst. The novel vocal element is just one more texture at his disposal. “With instrumental music,” he reflects, “people expect to hear your solos, but they’ve just heard you play the melody! You can overexpose your voice. With Rick, I can play behind him, then step out with a solo, and give a fresh feeling to the song — take it to another place.” 

Setting out on the road this Fall, Herring is typically modest when describing what audiences can expect from The 5 of 7: “There’ll be vocals, there’ll be instrumentals. There will be funk and rock and roll, with some songs leaning towards more sophisticated harmony…but, to me, it’s just music.” 

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