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Butter Bei Die Fische | JazzThing Next Generation Vol. 105

Red Hering

Butter Bei Die Fische | JazzThing Next Generation Vol. 105

Price: € 14.95
Format: CD
Label: Double Moon Records
UPC: 0608917144727
Catnr: DMCHR 71447
Release date: 25 October 2024
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Label
Double Moon Records
UPC
0608917144727
Catalogue number
DMCHR 71447
Release date
25 October 2024

"... Drummer Maximilian Hering writes clever, variedly shaded post-bop compositions for his band. On his debut album, he incorporates the vocals of Dutch singer Sara Bax into his band's arrangements like an additional wind instrument."

WDR, 28-11-2024
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Artist(s)
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About the album

His name is Hering—Maximilian Hering (English: “Herring”). It quickly became clear to the German drummer and composer that he should use it as a tag for a band name and the title of the album debut. The English "to throw a red herring" literally means deliberately introducing irrelevant or misleading information to divert attention away from the real issue and consequently create a distraction. "Butter bei die Fische" is a traditional, even today ubiquitous saying from northern German, with which one asks someone to get to the point or not to do any half-way measures.

Maximilian Hering admitted with a laugh that he was originally not familiar the saying with the fish. No wonder: the musician grew up in Mainz, studied in Arnhem in the Netherlands, then lived in Barcelona for two years, and recently moved from Mainz to Cologne. "Butter bei die Fische” is a northern German saying that literally translates as “Butter with the fish” but means get to the point; he hadn't heard that anywhere on all his paths in life. Hering likes something like that. “I've always found it funny when people like Thelonious Monk or Lee Konitz refer to their name in titles.” There is also an attitude to life contained therein: “I often try to take things with humor. It can seem strange and even dangerous to take something too seriously. In principle, it is good not to always take yourself too seriously." This is also reflected in a pleasant degree of modesty. After all, he himself emphasized, his name is not among the widely established ones in the field, but instead he is just getting started with Red Hering as well as the other groups and projects in his sphere of activity.

Red Hering has existed since 2019. All those involved in the German-Dutch sextet are connected to Arnheim, the capital of the province of Gelderland on the Lower Rhine. Maximilian Hering was born in 1994 and turned 30 in July. He had already received his first little drum kit as a gift in preschool age: the start of a passion. He discovered the world of jazz one day. After having received several young talent awards, studying music was an obvious option. The drummer went to Arnhem in 2015. For his bachelor degree concert in 2019, he put together a six-piece line-up that is almost identical in personnel to the current Red Hering line-up. Sara Bax is the new singer today, even then a fellow student of Hering’s; he also plays in her group. The concert was not only extremely successful, but it also had an impact. The band agreed that it had to continue with the sextet. As a result, Red Hering came into existence.

Maximilian Hering had previously spent an Erasmus semester in Barcelona shortly before that. After his studies, he returned there for the first time. The drastic restrictions of the first Corona lockdown only temporarily prevented him from gaining a foothold in the music scene there. "The scene fascinated me for a long time, especially the special mentality of the people, which is also expressed in the way they play: everyone is very positive, everyone dares to do something." He founded the Maximilian Hering Group there and recorded his first album "Nostalgia" with a classical quintet in 2021. In addition, an EP with a completely different band was recorded: Max Hering & The Foaming Waves is a surf-jazz quartet! Maximilian had developed a love for surf sound through Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction". His enthusiasm for films is related to his parents' home. Hering's father is a film music composer. Maximilian has also composed or developed music for short films. However, one thing is certain: "I'm more of an instrumentalist who likes to go out and make music together with others."

The bandleader composed and arranged eight of the ten songs on "Butter bei die Fische". His second instrument is the piano. "I usually find it a pity when drummers compose in such a way that the pieces form only a framework for beats and blatant things, but otherwise do not inspire much with them." Maximilian's pieces are the complete opposite. A shining role model for him is Brian Blade and the music the American composed for his Fellowship Band. Herring developed very little based on the drums. A striking exception is the cool 7/8-8/8-groove, which makes "Journey" a gripping digression in the program. Many compositions have an autobiographical background. The opener names a street in a central, rather rough district of Barcelona that he came to appreciate (Carrer de Joaquín Costa). The fast-paced "Corredors de l'Alba" about joggers at sunrise on Barcelona's beach is also available in a version with the Foaming Waves. "Marona" is the nickname of an old flame: a melodic, embracing album finale. With "Farewell Season", a melancholy highlight of the program, he captures the emotional states of two farewells: from the Catalan metropolis and from the place where he studied. The "Park Sonsbeek" is located in the middle of Arnhem. a green oasis that entices you to linger. "A lot happened to me emotionally there, including dates and breakups." With its moods and sound colors, this multi-layered piece points to the influence of film music on Maximilian. The track is one of two for which he included the Paranormal String Quartet from Munich. He composed the chamber music piece "Nostalgia" in Arnhem, and he specifically added the flugelhorn of Marko Mebus later.

If you really want to construct a relation between music and album title, "Butter bei die Fische" does not exaggerate in promising too much. And this is exactly what Maximilian Hering has provided here in every respect. And how!
Sein Name ist Hering – Maximilian Hering. Für den deutschen Drummer und Komponisten war schnell klar, dass er den als Aufhänger für einen Bandnamen und den Titel des Album-Debüts nutzen sollte. Das englische „to throw a red herring“ (einen roten Hering werfen) bedeutet sprichwörtlich so viel wie „eine falsche Fährte legen“, ein Ablenkungsmanöver inszenieren. „Butter bei die Fische“ ist eine traditionelle, auch heute allgegenwärtige Redensart aus dem Norddeutschen, mit der man jemanden auffordert, zur Sache bzw. auf den Punkt zu kommen oder „keine halben Sachen“ zu machen.

Der Spruch mit den Fischen, das räumt Maximilian Hering lachend ein, war ihm ursprünglich selbst nicht geläufig. Kein Wunder: aufgewachsen ist der Musiker in Mainz, studiert hat er im niederländischen Arnheim, danach lebte er zwei Jahre in Barcelona, kürzlich ist er aus Mainz nach Köln gezogen. „Butter bei die Fische“ - das hatte er auf all den Wegen nirgends zu hören bekommen. Hering mag sowas. „Ich fand es schon immer witzig, wenn sich Leute wie Thelonious Monk oder Lee Konitz in Titeln auf ihren Namen bezogen.“ Dahinter steckt auch eine Lebenshaltung: „Ich versuche oft, Dinge mit Humor zu nehmen. Es kann merkwürdig wirken und sogar gefährlich sein, wenn man etwas zu ernst und zu seriös verkauft. Es ist prinzipiell gut, sich selber nicht immer so ernst zu nehmen.“ Daraus spricht auch ein sympathisches Maß an Bescheidenheit. Schließlich, so betont er selber, gehört er nicht zu den weithin etablierten Namen, sondern ist mit Red Hering sowie den anderen Gruppen und Projekten seines Wirkungskreises gerade erst auf dem Weg.

Red Hering gibt es seit 2019. Alle Beteiligten des deutsch-niederländischen Sextetts sind mit Arnheim verbunden, der Hauptstadt der Provinz Gelderland am Niederrhein. Maximilian Hering ist Jahrgang 1994 – im Juli wurde er 30. Schon im Vorschulalter hatte er sein erstes kleines Schlagzeug geschenkt bekommen: der Einstieg in eine Leidenschaft. Irgendwann öffnete sich ihm die Welt des Jazz. Mit mehreren Nachwuchspreisen in der Tasche lag ein Studium nahe. 2015 ging der Drummer nach Arnheim. Für sein Bachelor-Konzert stellte er 2019 eine sechsköpfige Formation zusammen, die personell beinahe identisch ist mit der aktuellen Red Hering-Besetzung (als neue Stimme ist heute Sara Bax dabei, schon damals eine Studienkollegin Herings – er spielt auch in ihrer Gruppe). Das Konzert verlief nicht nur überaus erfolgreich; es wirkte nach. Die Band war sich einig, dass es weitergehen muss mit dem Sextett. Damit war Red Hering in der Welt.

Maximilian Hering hatte kurz zuvor ein Erasmus-Semester in Barcelona verbracht. Nach dem Studium kehrte er erstmal dorthin zurück. Die drastischen Beschränkungen der ersten Corona-Zeit verhinderten nur vorübergehend, dass er in der dortigen Musikszene Fuß fasste. „Die hat mich nachhaltig fasziniert, vor Allem die besondere Mentalität der Menschen, die sich auch in der Art des Spielens ausdrückt: alle sind sehr positiv, alle trauen sich was.“ Dort gründete er die Maximilian Hering Group – mit dem klassisch instrumentierten Quintett nahm er 2021 sein erstes Album „Nostalgia“ auf. Außerdem entstand eine EP mit einer komplett anders besetzten Band: Max Hering & The Foaming Waves ist ein Surf-Jazz-Quartett! Maximilian hatte über Quentin Tarantinos „Pulp Fiction“ eine Liebe zum Surf-Sound entwickelt. Seine Begeisterung für Filme hängt mit dem Elternhaus zusammen. Herings Vater ist Filmmusik-Komponist. Auch Maximilian hat schon Musik zu Kurzfilmen komponiert bzw. entwickelt. Fest steht allerdings: „Ich bin eher Instrumentalist, der gerne raus geht und gemeinsam mit anderen Musik macht.“

Acht der zehn Titel auf „Butter bei die Fische“ hat der Leader komponiert und arrangiert. Sein Zweitinstrument ist das Klavier. „Ich finde es meist schade, wenn Schlagzeuger so komponieren, dass die Stücke nur ein Gerüst bilden für Beats und krasse Sachen, ansonsten damit aber nicht viel inspirieren.“ Maximilians Stücke sind das absolute Gegenteil. Ein leuchtendes Vorbild ist für ihn Brian Blade und die Musik, die der Amerikaner für seine Fellowship-Band geschrieben hat. Hering entwickelt die wenigsten vom Schlagzeug her. Auffällige Ausnahme ist der coole 7/8-8/8-Groove, der „Journey“ zu einem packenden Schlenker im Programm macht. Viele Kompositionen haben einen autobiographischen Hintergrund. Der Opener benennt eine Straße in einem zentralen, eher rauen Viertel Barcelonas, die er schätzen gelernt hat (Carrer de Joaquín Costa). Das rasante „Corredors de l’Alba“ über Jogger im Sonnenaufgang am Strand Barcelonas gibt es auch in einer Version mit den Foaming Waves. „Marona“ ist der Kosename einer Verflossenen – ein melodiestarkes, umarmendes Album-Finale. Mit „Farewell Season“, einem melancholisch getönten Highlight des Programms, fängt er die Gefühlslagen zweier Abschiede ein: von der katalanischen Metropole und von seiner Studienheimat. Der „Park Sonsbeek“ liegt mitten in Arnheim – eine grüne Oase mit Aufenthaltswert. „Dort ist mir emotional viel passiert bis hin zu Dates und Trennungen.“ Das vielschichtige Stück weist mit seinen Stimmungen und Soundfarben auf die filmmusikalische Prägung Maximilians hin. Der Track ist einer von zweien, für die er das Paranormal String Quartet aus München hinzuholte. Das kammermusikalische „Nostalgia“ schrieb er noch in Arnheim, später ergänzte er gezielt das Flügelhorn von Marko Mebus.

Wenn man insgesamt unbedingt einen Bezug zwischen Musik und Albumtitel konstruieren will: „Butter bei die Fische“ verspricht nicht zu viel – genau das hat Maximilian Hering hier in jeder Hinsicht geliefert. Und wie!

Artist(s)

Dion Nijland (double bass)

I studied double bass at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and graduated in 1999. At this moment I’m part of the following groups: Dimami, De Bende van Drie,HOT, VANBINSBERGENPLAYSTATION, De Algehele, The Chronometers Orchestra, Talking Cowsand Timon Koomen’s 4tet. Rehearsing, playing, talking, thinking and composing are the creative and practical activities that fill a large part of my time. But since you’re here now, I’m happy to give you some of the highlights: De Bende van Drie is working on a performance called Men on Wire. Onno van Swigchem composed music and Miranda van der Spek made video’s. Putting them together is a kind of magic. In 2012, Talking Cows released their critically acclaimed CD Almost Human. 2011 Dimami released their collabaration-cd with trombone player Joost Buis and played at 12 jazz venues in The...
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I studied double bass at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and graduated in 1999.
At this moment I’m part of the following groups: Dimami, De Bende van Drie,HOT, VANBINSBERGENPLAYSTATION, De Algehele, The Chronometers Orchestra, Talking Cowsand Timon Koomen’s 4tet. Rehearsing, playing, talking, thinking and composing are the creative and practical activities that fill a large part of my time.
But since you’re here now, I’m happy to give you some of the highlights:
  • De Bende van Drie is working on a performance called Men on Wire. Onno van Swigchem composed music and Miranda van der Spek made video’s. Putting them together is a kind of magic.
  • In 2012, Talking Cows released their critically acclaimed CD Almost Human.
  • 2011 Dimami released their collabaration-cd with trombone player Joost Buis and played at 12 jazz venues in The Netherlands.
  • In 2011 I was Musician in Recidence at JIN in Nijmegen.
  • With Spinifex I toured through India in 2011 & 2012
  • In 2007 I was Artist in Residence at SJU in Utrecht
  • In 2006, Dimami took part in The Young VIPs Tour with, among others, Anton Goudsmit of the New Cool Collective and in 2015 the band is celebrating it’s 15th anniversary!
In 2006 I took part in the Oostpool Theatre Group production of Brel, featuring Jeroen Willems in the title role. In 2007 I played in the musical theatre production Pushkin Paradise, also by Oostpool and in 2009 participated in the dance performance Ghost Note by Station Zuid.
Because my musical path has brought me to quite some places en and connected me to a lot of musician I’d like to mention a few: Vera Westera, Caroline Lobanov, Mischa van der Wekken, Anton Goudsmit, Ernst Glerum, Friedmar Hitzer, Pieter Klaassen and Oleg Fateev.
As a teacher I’m coaching and conducting two amateur groups: Donderd’s Band and Jazzmée. I give workshop in several cities in The Netherlands. At ArtEZ I teach double bass since March 2014. The best introduction I can give you is by showing myself.

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Marko Mebus (trumpet)

Sara Bax (vocals)

Red Hering

Red Hering is the six-member ensemble led by drummer Maximilian Hering from Mainz. Unconventional melodies over driving grooves, a sextet lineup with the human voice as part of the brass section, and the absence of stylistic norms: Red Hering achieves a veritable diversion from the classical modern jazz of the 21st century. The debut album of the band founded in 2019 is titled 'Butter bei die Fische', which, after pandemic-related delays, could finally be realized thanks to a scholarship from Deutscher Musikrat. It will be released in October 2024 as Vol. 105 in the Jazz Thing Next Generation series on Double Moon Records. In the ten original compositions by drummer and saxophonist, with two appearances by the Munich-based Paranormal String Quartet, all band members come into their...
more

Red Hering is the six-member ensemble led by drummer Maximilian Hering from Mainz. Unconventional melodies over driving grooves, a sextet lineup with the human voice as part of the brass section, and the absence of stylistic norms: Red Hering achieves a veritable diversion from the classical modern jazz of the 21st century.

The debut album of the band founded in 2019 is titled "Butter bei die Fische", which, after pandemic-related delays, could finally be realized thanks to a scholarship from Deutscher Musikrat. It will be released in October 2024 as Vol. 105 in the Jazz Thing Next Generation series on Double Moon Records. In the ten original compositions by drummer and saxophonist, with two appearances by the Munich-based Paranormal String Quartet, all band members come into their own. Initiator Maximilian Hering sees his music as "European Jazz." While in his other projects, musicians from Spain often participate, Red Hering is a Dutch-German fusion.


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Jakob Roters (cello)

Milan Kühn (alto saxophone)

Composer(s)

Milan Kühn (alto saxophone)

Press

... Drummer Maximilian Hering writes clever, variedly shaded post-bop compositions for his band. On his debut album, he incorporates the vocals of Dutch singer Sara Bax into his band's arrangements like an additional wind instrument.
WDR, 28-11-2024

... Imaginative jazz at its best!
jazz-fun.de, 03-11-2024

Influenced by film music!...           
er em online, 10-11-2024

... The singer Sara Bax can be heard for half of the ten songs, mostly letting loose with wordless vocalizations, thus becoming another instrument in Hering's toolbox. “I really like using the voice as a sound building block, as another instrument,” emphasizes Hering...
Jazzthing, 25-10-2024

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