Renowned saxophonist
Vincent Herring battles back from a bout with Covid-19 and career-threatening side effects with a defiant and joyful new album, “Preaching to the Choir,” with swinging help from pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Johnathan Blake. Herring speaks for nearly all of us when he says, “2020 into 2021 was a morbid nightmare.” He experienced the pandemic first hand, not only contracting the virus but also suffering the same loss of performance opportunities befalling every musician during the past year. Despite the prevailing darkness, the disc delivers a sermon of optimism and hope to the jazz faithful.