Brandy Herbert

Brandy Herbert is a consummate professional, with years of experience as a soloist, featured artist, studio musician, concert professional, and leader of bands, from singles to 6-piece groups and more. She has been a featured solo-artist at local Denver establishments like the Black Crown, and other jazz venues. I can provide quiet background music, or featured-artist sets that will keep the audience riveted. If working as a single, or as part of the duo, "HerRisin’", with Mailyn Faulkner, jazz-vocalist, I generally work with pre-recorded backing tracks that provide the complete sound of a jazz group, featuring piano/bass/drums/(sometimes strings), so that you get the equivalent of a 4-5 piece group, even though I'm the only one on the stage. Add to that the "arsenal" of instruments I use, (archtop guitar, nylon-string guitar, synth-guitar--capable of sounding like anything from a flute, to a Hammond B-3 organ), and you have anything from soft ballads, to bossa-novas, to organ-swing & blues, to jazz standards that will sound as if you have a whole combo available.

I can perform for both large and small audiences for any venue, public event, or private event. This includes: Night Club Settings, Private Parties, Corporate Events, Festivals, Weddings, Community Concerts / Public Events or any other situation that requires live music. I also enjoy long-term, rotational engagements where I can bring my fan-base and following in to increase business.

“Brandy Herbert is a splendid guitarist with a strong southwestern influence...Born in Dallas..and establishes a fine, funky mood.” – Leonard Feather, Jazz Critic (Women's Jazz Festival bio)

Graduate of North Texas State University, School of Jazz

Musical Director/Arranger/Conductor/Guitarist for "The Original Platters", USO Tours to the Far East;
Lead Guitarist, "The Bobbie Gentry Show", Tour (Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Honolulu, Vancouver, Sydney, Australia)

Musically:
Studio work, Dallas, 1968-1972; (commercials, jingles, commercial records)
Audio Recording Engineer/Mixdown Engineer, Pepper & Tanner, 1968-1972
Big band work, “Buddy Brock Orchestra”, Houston, TX, 1977-1982;
Full-time member, "Houston Pops Orchestra", 1977-1982;
Player: "Women's Jazz Festival", Kansas City, 1979-1986; (Member of "All-Stars" twice: 1981, 1983)
Michigan Women’s Music Festival - “All-Stars House-Band”, 1983
West Coast Women’s Music Festival - “All-Stars House-Band”, 1983
Currently playing with jazz, funk & blues groups in the Denver area.
Colorado Women’s Blues Festival, “Women Rock the Night”, 2005-2007

Partial list of people I've played with:
Jimmy Reed,
Chuck Berry,
Jackie de Shannon,
Jimmy Clanton, (“Just A Dream”)
Annette Funicello & Frankie Avalon (Dick Clark show),
Chad & Jeremy,
The Original Platters,
Bobbie Gentry,
Billie Joe Royal,
The Shangri-La's,
Ray Sharpe ("Linda Lu"),
Bruce Channel ("Hey Baby"),
Janie Fricke,
Stan Kenton,
David "Fathead" Newman,
"Blue Lou" Marini (The Blues Brothers),
Tom "Bones" Malone (The Blues Brothers),
Dean Parks (Steely Dan),
David Hungate (Toto)
Teresa Brewer,
Sammy Davis, Jr.,
Jim Bailey (The "Illusionist"),
Kay Starr,
Michael Martin Murphy,
Johnny Lee,
Lionel Hampton,
Benny Goodman,
Cab Calloway,
Patti Page,
Steve Allen,
Burl Ives,
The Four Aces,
Nancy Wilson,
Anita O'Day,
Dave & Sugar, (“Queen of the Silver Dollar”)
Arnette Cobb,
Clifford "Scotty" Scott ("Honky Tonk"/Bill Doggett),
Nat Adderley
Bill LeSage (U.K. jazz-pianist)
Kim Stone (bassist: “The Rippingtons”/”Spyrogyra”)

Instruments: Guitar; Synth-Guitar, Elec Bass; Bkup Vocals
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Sight reader, jazz instrumentalist, featured artist, featured recording guest-artist. Fluent with standards, bossas/latin, jazz-tunes, ballads; know about 90% of the standard fake-books by heart. Comfortable in small club/restaurant settings to concert-hall venues.

Work single-gigs using a combination of solo playing, computer-created backing-tracks; have excellent singer for duo gigs. Private parties, conventions, meetings, club-dates... Always prefer "standing"/"rotational" engagements to bring in my following and fan-base. Can expand to trio, quartet, quintet and sextet, if required.

I generally carry everything I need for a performance, self-contained. I provide anything from a small-but-efficient "Bose L-1/Compact" (link hidden)r backing-tracks & vocals, all the way up to an 8-channel active mixer with 2-15" JBL monitors, plus wedge-monitors for large venues. All amplification, microphones, stands, and other equipment is supplied by me. I do not supply lighting or staging effects, but in most club and venue settings, the available illumination is sufficient.

Depending on the type of engagement I generally travel with 2-3 guitars, and associated F/X, which includes a Roland GR-33 guitar-synth, an archtop jazz guitar, and a custom-made nylon-string electric guitar. This provides the "right instrument for the right song."