Alto saxophone great Vincent Herring brought a soulful feeling and a new all-star band to Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley, visiting the KNKX studios for an exclusive performance while they were in Seattle.

The inspiration for his new Something Else! band came from Herring attending Motown revues as a kid.

“The Temptations, Diana Ross… it was so fun to go to that concert because you knew all these songs,” he told KNKX.

Herring took that idea and ran with it. Something Else! puts a soul jazz twist on some of the most popular songs in jazz.

“As an audience participant,” Herring said, “I would like to go to that concert!”

The band he’s put together really is something else: James Carter (tenor and soprano sax), Freddie Hendrix (trumpet and flugelhorn), Paul Bollenback (guitar), Dave Kikoski (piano), Essiet Okon Essiet (bass) and Jerome Gillespie (drums) had the KNKX studio audience cheering wildly.

As a kid in the 1960s, Herring said he listened to whatever the pop music of the day was, until playing a new instrument drew him in a new direction.

"Once I started playing saxophone, I wanted to hear more saxophone, and then I started getting into jazz,” he said.

His new group merges those jazz skills with the music of his youth.

The group’s debut album, Soul Jazz, was recorded live in New York City and includes soul jazz favorites like “The Chicken” by James Brown band member Pee Wee Ellis and “Filthy McNasty” by Horace Silver. The group’s talent and personality really shine with their uniquely funky versions of jazz standards.

In the KNKX studios, Something Else! performed three songs they plan to record for their next album: Cedar Walton’s “I’m Not So Sure,” Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight,” and John Coltrane’s “Naima.”

There were fiery solos in each, but it was the backbeat provided by Essiet and Gillespie that gave the songs a soulful, celebratory feeling. As Herring said after the session, these aren’t just great songs, they are a whole lot of fun to play.

We think they’re also a lot of fun to listen to. Please enjoy this exclusive performance from Something Else!

Musicians:

• Vincent Herring - alto saxophone
• James Carter - tenor saxophone
• Freddie Hendrix - trumpet
• Paul Bollenback - guitar
• Dave Kikoski - piano
• Essiet Okon Essiet - bass
• Jerome Gillespie - drums

Songs:

1. I'm Not So Sure (Cedar Walton)
2. 'Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk)
3. Naima (John Coltrane)