Biography

Herring's formal musical education began at age 11, when he started playing saxophone in school bands and studying privately at Dean Frederick's School Of Music in Vallejo, California. At age 16, he entered California State University, Chico on a music scholarship.

A year later, Vincent auditioned for a spot in the United States Military Academy band Jazz Knights playing lead alto sax. He made the move to West Point and served one enlisted tour, which turned out to be a steppingstone to the New York jazz scene.

Since first touring Europe and the United States with Lionel Hampton's big band, Herring has worked with Nat Adderley, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Horace Silver Quintet, Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, the Mingus Big Band, Nancy Wilson, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Arthur Taylor, Dr. Billy Taylor, Carla Bley, and the Phil Woods Sax Machine (a band augmenting Woods' regular quintet to an octet with three additional alto saxophonists). Herring has appeared as a special guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center as well as with John Faddis and The Carnegie Hall Big Band. Herring now plays with the Cannonball Legacy Band, which plays in jazz festivals an jazz clubs. Occasionally, the band will play in smaller towns. Recently the band played in Bellingham, Washington at a benefit concert for the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band, a band for children and teenagers grades 6-12.

Herring has taken bands to Japan and Europe on several occasions and has appeared in nearly every major jazz festival in the world. He is also involved in jazz education, giving clinics throughout Europe and the United States. Herring has recorded 15 CDs as a leader and over 200 as a sideman.

He plays Yanagisawa saxophones i.e. a gold-plated A991 alto and gold-plated S991 soprano. His mouthpiece on alto is a prototype of the Vandoren V16, size 5 opening with a small chamber. He plays on Alexander Superial DC reeds, size 3½.

Discography

As leader

• 1989: American Experience
• 1989: Scene One
• 1990: Evidence (Landmark Records)
• 1993: Dawnbird (Landmark)
• 1993: Secret Love
• 1994: Days Of Wine & Roses MusicMaster
• 1994: Folklore:Live At The Village Vanguard MusicMaster
• 1995: Don' Let It Go MusicMaster
• 1997: Change The World
• 1999: Jobim for Lovers Musicmasters
• 2001: Simple Pleasure (Highnote Records)
• 2003: All Too Real (Highnote)
• 2004: Mr. Wizard(Highnote)
• 2006: Ends and Means (Highnote)
• 2010: Morning Star (Challenge Records)
• 2013: The Uptown Shuffle (Smoke Sessions)
• 2015: Night and Day (Smoke Sessions)

As sideman

• Alto Legacy (P.Woods/V.Herring) Alto Summit Fantasy records
• Barney McAll Quintet Exit BME Records 4798192
• Benard Purdie's Soul To Jazz 2 ACT 9253-2
• Carl Allen Quintet w Roy Hargrove Piccadilly Square Alfa-09
• Carl Allen Quintet The Pursuer Atlantic-82572-2
• Carl Allen Quintet w Nicholas Payton Testimonial Atlantic-82755
• Cedar Walton Composer (Astor Place, 1996)
• Cedar Walton The Promise Land (HighNote, 2001)
• Cedar Walton One Flight Down (HighNote, 2006)
• Cedar Walton Seasoned Wood (HighNote, 2008)
• Cedar Walton Voices Deep Within (HighNote, 2009)
• Cedar Walton The Bouncer (HighNote, 2011)
• Don Braden Sextet Art Of The Saxophone BMG Records 4001
• Don Braden Sextet release late 2000 DoubleTime Records
• Donald Brown Quintet People Music Muse Records 5406
• Eddie Allen Quintet Another Point Of View Enja-8004
• Ferit Odman Nommo Equinox Music & Entertainment 2010
• Ferit Odman Autumn in New York Equinox Music & Entertainment 2011
• Freddie Hubbard Sextet Bolivia Musicmasters 5063
• Freddie Hubbard Octet MMTC: Monk, Miles, Trane & Cannon Musicmasters 65132-2
• Gloria Lynne No Detour Ahead Muse MCD5414
• Good Fellas (Vol. 1) Paddle Wheel KICJ115
• Good Fellas (Vol. 2) Paddle Wheel KICJ166
• Good Fellas (Vol. 3) Paddle Wheel KICJ101
• Joe Chambers Quintet Mirrors Bluenote Records 724349668522
• Johannes Enders Quiet Fire Enja Records ENJ-93902
• John Hicks Quartet In The Mix Landmark Records 1542
• John Hicks Quartet Piece In My Peace Landmark Records 1545
• Johnny King In From The Cold Criss Cross Records 1093
• Kevin Hays Quintet Sweet Ear steeplechase 31282
• Lainie Kazan Body & Soul MusicMasters Records 65126
• Leon Dorsey Quintet The Watcher Landmark Records 1540
• Louis Hayes Dreamin of Cannonball TCB Records
• Louis Smith Sextet Strike Up The Band Steeplechase 31294
• Manhattan Projects Dark Side Of Dewey Alfa ALCR217
• Manhattan Projects Echoes Of Our Heroes Alfa ALCR312
• Manhattan Projects We Remember Cannonball Alfa 3029
• Marcus Roberts Portraits In Blue Sony Records 68488
• Melvin Rhyne To Cannonball Paddle Wheel KICJ147
• Mingus Big Band Que Viva Mingus Dreyfus Records
• Mingus Big Band Blues & Politics Dreyfus Records
• Mingus Big Band Tonight At Noon Dreyfus Records
• Mingus Big Band Three Of Four Shades Of Love Dreyfus Records
• Nat Adderley Quintet Live At Floating Jazz Fest Chiaroscuro334
• Nat Adderley Quintet Live At Sweet Basil Vol. 1
• Nat Adderley Quintet Live At Sweet Basil Vol. 2
• Nat Adderley Quintet Live At Sweet Basil Alfa -44
• Nat Adderley Quintet Talkin' About You Landmark 1528
• Nat Adderley Quintet The Old Country Alfa-101
• Nat Adderley Quintet We Remember Cannon In & Out-701
• Nat Adderley Quintet Workin Timeless SPJ 387
• Nat Adderley Quintet A Night In Manhattan Alfa-166
• Ron McClure Quintet Never Forget steeplechase 31279
• Scott Wendholt Quintet Scheme of Things Cross Cross 1078
• Tim Hagans & Marcus Printup Hubsongs Bluenote CDP 724385950926
• Yoichi Kobayashi Sukiyaki WNCL-2115

[ Source: Wikipedia ]