Jazz Reviews : Sax Player Gary Herbig Works a Higher Profile

Let’s call it as it is: Gary Herbig has a big recognition problem. Here’s a saxophone player who has a resume a mile long. He’s probably played for enough commercials, TV shows, movies and recordings to have been heard by virtually everyone in the country. Yet almost no one knows his name.

Last year, Herbig’s first recording (on Dave Pell’s Headfirst Records) helped remove some of the public anonymity. Tuesday night at the Biltmore Hotel’s Grand Avenue Bar, he took another strong step toward the visibility he so obviously deserves.

Leading an energetic six-piece band through a mixed bag of pieces that included a number of selections from a soon-to-be-released second album, Herbig moved easily from alto to tenor to soprano saxophones. Of the three, he was most impressive on alto, especially during a solo cadenza overflowing with sliding blues phrases and rapid-fire runs.

A grooving original, “Straight Ahead,” triggered an equally fiery improvisation, and Lalo Schifrin’s “Never Say Never” provided an opportunity for a lyrical solo.

Keyboardist Greg Mathison made the most of the opportunity with a series of flashing synthesizer solos ranging from organ-sounding funk to high-flying space horns. The other principal soloist, Harvey Mason, a drummer who can make a simple kit more effective than roomful of exotic percussion, was typically marvelous. He managed, in one of his solos, to make the silences as important as the sounds--a rare achievement for any drummer. Guitarist Mitch Holder also played well, especially on a blues number late in the set, with bassist Dennis Belfield and percussionist Steve Foreman providing dependable rhythmic support throughout the evening.