Michel Herr

Michel Herr
Background information
Born	(1949-02-16) 16 February 1949
Origin	Brussels, Belgium
Instrument(s)	Piano, keyboards, composer, arranger
Years active	1970–present
Website	www.michelherr.com

Michel Herr (born 16 February 1949 in Brussels) is a Belgian jazz pianist, composer and arranger. In addition to releasing jazz albums, composing for jazz ensembles and touring widely as a performing musician, he has also composed scores for films. As a bandleader he founded several bands: Solis Lacus, Michel Herr European Quintet, Michel Herr & Unexpected Encounters. He is also a music producer.

In 2020 he was awarded the Prix Sabam for Culture – Compositeur de Jazz 2019 for his album Positive / Music for sextet and string quartet (Igloo Records, 2019).

Selected works

Albums as a leader or co-leader

• Positive / Music for sextet and string quartet (2019)
• Jazz Olympics (1 track in tentet with Michel & Life Lines) (2008)
• The Music of Michel Herr (with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra) (2008)
• A tribute to Belgian Jazz (1998)
• Notes of life (1998) (Quintet)
• Just friends (Michel Herr & Archie Shepp)(1993) (movie soundtrack)
• Meet Curtis Lundy & Kenny Washington (Steve Houben & Michel Herr) (1983)
• Intuitions (1989) (trio)
• Short stories (1982) (with Wolfgang Engstfeld)
• Continuous flow (1980) (Engstfeld / Herr / Danielsson / Lowe)
• Good buddies (1979) (with Bill Frisell)
• Perspective (1978) (with Wolfgang Engstfeld)
• Ouverture éclair (1977) (Michel Herr Trio)
• Solis Lacus (1975)

Albums as a piano player, composer, arranger, etc... (a selection)

• O Celli in America (8 cellists. Arranger of an Ellington medley) (2022)
• The black days sessions (Daniel Romeo/Arranger) (2020)
• We have a dream (Tutu Puoane & Brussels Jazz Orchestra/ Arranger) (2018)
• Udiverse (Fabrice Alleman & Chamber orchestra/Arranger & composer) (2017)
• The string project (Philip Catherine/ Arranger) (2016) Echo Jazz Award 2016 (D)
• Colors of Time (Thierry Lang & David Linx/ Arranger) (2013)
• Crush (Ivan Paduart & the Metropole Orchestra/ Arranger) (2010)
• Let me hear a simple song (Radoni's Tribe / Arranger) (2009)
• Jazz Olympics (1 track feat. David Linx / Brussels Jazz Orchestra) (2008)
• Changing Faces (1 track feat. David Linx / Brussels Jazz Orchestra) (2007)
• Sides of Life (Fabrice Alleman) (2004)
• Restless (Jean-Pierre Catoul / Peter Hertmans) (1999)
• The live takes (Toots Thielemans) (1999)
• En public (Phil Abraham Quartet) (1997)
• O brilho do Sol (Marito Correa) (1996)
• Intensive Act" (Félix Simtaine) (1996)
• L'affaire (Vladimir Cosma/Toots Thielemans, movie soundtrack) (1994)
• Loop the loop (Fabrice Alleman Quartet) (1993)
• Take it from the top (Denise Jannah) (1991)
• Bim bim (Bruno Castellucci) (1987)
• Extremes (Act Big Band and guests) (1987)
• Solid Steps (Joe Lovano) (1986)
• Transparence (Philip Catherine) (1986)
• Sweet seventina (Bert Joris) (1985)
• Your precious love (Toots Thielemans) (1984)
• Soon spring (John Ruocco) (1983)
• Steve Houben + strings (1982)
• Act Big Band (1981)
• Remembering Bobby Jaspar and Rene Thomas (Saxo 1000) (1980)
• Dom Rocket (Gijs Hendriks Quartet) (1979)
• Live in Solothurn (Zbigniew Seifert Variospheres) (rec. 1976, released on cd in 2017)

As a composer, arranger for movies

• Le Scoop (Jean-Louis Colmant) (1977) (TV)
• La Mésaventure (Freddy Charles) (1980) (TV)
• Les Fugitifs (Freddy Charles) (1981) (TV)
• San Francisco (Freddy Charles) (1982) (TV)
• Les Magiciens du mercredi (Freddy Charles) (1984) (TV)
• Just Friends (Marc-Henri Wajnberg) (1993)
• Éclats de famille (Didier Grousset) (1994) (TV)
• Les Monos / Le responsable (Didier Grousset) (1999) (TV)
• Le Coup du lapin (Didier Grousset) (2000) (TV)
• Odette Toulemonde (Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt) (Nicola Piovani) (arranger/orchestrator of Joséphine Baker songs) (2007)
• Un crime très populaire (Didier Grousset) (2007) (TV)

External links

• Official site
• Michel Herr at IMDb