INtake July 29, 2004

Musician's act gets jazzed up after fest

New CD has the feel of hearing the band play live in a club.

By Julie Young
INtake correspondent

Jeff DeHerdt made his mark on the local music scene at the 2000 Indianapolis Jazz Fest, playing his original songs that couple slick jazz and pop-rock stylings. In the months and years that followed, his combo has made appearances at Clowes Hall, the Chatterbox and The Jazz Kitchen alongside notable artists such as Herbie Hancock, Michael Becker and Wayne Shorter. DeHerdt's new CD, "Club Bordeaux," is a collection of 11 new songs that he has written over the past five years and is evenly split between vocal and instrumental music, giving listeners a sense of what the band sounds like in a live venue. The 36-year-old Brebeuf High School graduate says that he is excited about the new material and looks forward to the future.

What is the concept of "Club Bordeaux"?

Basically, all of the tunes I have written over the past five years were put into one CD, and I just tried to place them in one cohesive hole. It's kind of a wine theme since they are a lot of tunes I have written in clubs. It's a cross between straight-ahead jazz and singer-songwriter pop. It's like Billy Joel meets Thelonious Monk. The production is better than my EP. I spent a lot more time with this CD and I added a lot of horns, organ and guitar to this version of "I'm all the Friends I've Got." David Weber, who recorded Carrie Newcomer's CDs, co-produced the CD with me.

What is it like to play the Jazz Fest with nationally known acts?

I wasn't on the main stage, but on the local stage where it is more like a peer group. I got to see a lot of people play who I normally don't get to. When my band was playing, Brad Mehldau was on the next stage, toward the end of the set, I was wondering why people were staying here when he was on the next stage. I would have been over there if I could have. The good thing about the Jazz Fest is that even though there are big crowds at the main stage, there are still a lot of people at the local stages as well.

Who are some of your influences?

I grew up in the '80s, so it was the Police, Billy Joel and Steely Dan.

How big of a band do you perform with?

It flexes between three and eight people, but depends on what kind of function I'm playing. If it is a small room, eight people can be really loud, but for an intimate setting, three to four is good. In a full concert setting, I like to use three horns, a guitar and an organ to help fill things out.

Which venue is your favorite to play?

Right now, it would have to be the Jazz Kitchen. People there usually come to listen as well as eat. Playing live gives you an immediate response from the audience as well as the musicians. Since we play things a little differently every night, it's a constant surprise.

What does the future hold for the Jeff DeHerdt Group?

I would like to do a small Midwest tour and expand out a little. It's hard, though, when you see some of the bigger festivals struggling financially, so it is probably better that I stay local at this point.