Born in Brussels on February 16, 1949, Michel Herr is active as a pianist, composer, arranger since the seventies, mainly on the jazz scene, but also writing for movies and various media. As a jazz pianist, he had the opportunity to play with an impressive list of well known jazz musicians : Americans such as Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson, Chet Baker, Archie Shepp, Charlie Mariano, Pepper Adams, Johnny Griffin, Slide Hampton, Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Charlie Rouse, Art Farmer, Steve Grossman, Judy Niemack, Lew Tabackin, John Abercrombie, etc... Europeans such as Palle Mikkelborg, Paolo Fresu, Daniel Humair, J-F Jenny-Clarke, Aldo Romano, Palle Danielsson, Arild Andersen, Norma Winstone, Richard Galliano, Riccardo Del Fra, François Jeanneau..., etc and of course the cream of the Belgian musicians : Philip Catherine, Steve Houben, Bert Joris, Phil Abraham, Fabrice Alleman, Richard Rousselet, Jean-Pierre Catoul, Peter Hertmans, Bruno Castellucci, Act Big Band etc... Since 84 and for many years, he played piano and keyboards with harmonica player Toots Thielemans. He performed with him throughout the world (Europe, USA, Japan, Africa), appeared in many major festivals (Northsea, Montreal, Antibes, Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw, Stockholm, Oslo, etc...) and participated in many TV shows, records, film soundtracks, etc. He toured with him in the US and in Japan, a.o. with bassists Rufus Reid, Ray Drummond or Riccardo Del Fra and drummers Adam Nussbaum or Billy Hart.

• The Michel Herr European Quintet with Bert Joris, Wolfgang Engstfeld, Riccardo Del Fra and Dré Pallemaerts.
  The quintet's first CD, "Notes Of Life" (Igloo) received very enthusiatic reviews.
  
  
• Michel Herr Unexpected Encounters a nine-piece ensemble combining his European Quintet with a string quartet.
  
  
• Michel Herr & Life Lines a nine piece band featuring his own compositions and arrangements, with top Belgian players : Steve Houben, Bert Joris or Gino Lattuca, Fabrice Alleman, Phil Abraham, Marcus Bartelt, Jacques Pirotton, Sal La Rocca or Sam Gerstmans and Bruno Castellucci or Dré Pallemaerts.

Moreover, he plays a.o. with the Fabrice Alleman Quartet, one of Belgium's top modern jazz bands. They won the Nicolas Dor Prize at the '97 Liège Festival. In the Belgian jazz referendum organized by Belgian radios RTBF and VRT, their album "Loop the Loop" was elected Best Belgian CD of the year 1998.
The second album, "Side of Life", was widely acclaimed, too, and their appearance in 2006 at the Liège Jazz Festival with US trumpet player Randy Brecker was one of the highlights of the festival (broadcasted on RTBF tv).

Other collaborations in recent years included the band of Jean-Pierre Catoul/Peter Hertmans, ACT Big Band (as a musical director and main composer), John Ruocco, Richard Rousselet's Tribute to Miles, Phil Abraham and drummer Daniel Humair, Judy Niemack/Jeanfrançois Prins, Fabrice Alleman One Shot Band, the A Train Sextet (Jean Warland), Gino Lattuca Quartet & Quintet, Félix Simtaine's Ten-Tamarre, Steve Houben, Erwin Vann's Worlds with a.o. Norma Winstone & Eric Vloeimans, Fabien Degryse Jazz or accompanying soloists such as Eric Le Lann, Paolo Fresu, Sylvain Beuf etc...

In 2000, Michel Herr was the guest of honor of the Belgian "Django d'Or" evening.
And again, in 2005, his ten piece band was featured in the Belgian Django d'Or (tv broadcast).

In 2007, he writes and records a suite for the album of singer David Linx with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. He also writes an arrangement on Ivan Paduart's "Waterfalls" for the Dutch singer Fay Claassen and the famous Dutch 'Metropole Orchestra", a large orchestra (big band + strings + woodwinds, etc...) which for decades has invited the top arrangers of the world.

In May 2007, he records a double album of his big band compositions with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra (released by De Werf in Feb. 2008).

Michel Herr appears on more than 60 LPs or CDs, as a leader or with Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans, Bill Frisell, Archie Shepp, Philip Catherine, Tom Harrell etc...

He also is occasionally active as a producer, for several recordings : Erwin Vann's Worlds, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra + Kenny Werner, Philip Catherine, Bart Quartier quintet, etc...

Finally, Michel Herr's activities as a composer and arranger are so substantial that two special pages are dedicated to his achievements :

• as a jazz composer and arranger
• as a composer in the field of film music and media in general

Drawing © Yves Budin