Herb Robertson

Clarence C. "Herb" Robertson (February 21, 1951 – December 10, 2024) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on February 21, 1951,^[1] and attended the Berklee College of Music. He recorded solo albums and worked as a sideman for Tim Berne, Anthony Davis, Bill Frisell, George Gruntz, Paul Motian, Bobby Previte, and David Sanborn.^[2][3] Robertson died in Whiting, New Jersey, on December 10, 2024, at the age of 73.^[4][5][1]

Herb Robertson
Robertson in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Clarence C. Robertson
Born	(1951-02-21)February 21, 1951 Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	December 10, 2024(2024-12-10) (aged 73) Whiting, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Instruments	Trumpet flugelhorn
Website	herbrobertson.com

Discography

As leader

• Transparency (JMT, 1985)
• X-Cerpts: Live at Willisau (JMT, 1987)
• Shades of Bud Powell (JMT, 1988)
• Certified (JMT, 1991)
• Falling in Flat Space (Cadence Jazz, 1996) with Dominic Duval and Jay Rosen
• Sound Implosion (CIMP, 1997) with Dominic Duval and Jay Rosen
• Ritual (CIMP, 2000) with Phil Haynes
• Brooklyn-Berlin (CIMP, 2000) with Phil Haynes
• Knudstock 2000 (Cadence, 2000)
• Music for Long Attention Spans (Leo, 2001)
• The Legend of the Missing Link (Septet & Quintet) (Splasc(h), 2001)
• Elaboration (Clean Feed, 2005)
• Sketches from the Other Side, For A.I. (Ruby Flower, 2006)
• Parallelisms (Ruby Flower, 2007) with Evan Parker and Agustí Fernández [es]
• Real Aberration (Clean Feed, 2007)
• Celebrations (Leo, 2007) with Frank Gratkowski [de], Simon Nabatov, and Dieter Manderscheid [de]
• Live at Alchemia (Not Two [de], 2007) with Marcin Oleś and Bartłomiej Oleś
• Passing the Torch (Ruby Flower, 2008) with Jean-Luc Cappozzo [de]
• Diablo en musica - Improvisations (Out/In Space, 2008) with Rich Messbauer and Tom Sayek
• Party Enders (Not Two, 2011) with Dave Kaczorowski and Adrian Valosin
• Rumble Seat (Not Two, 2012) with Steve Rust and Harvey Sorgen [de]

As sideman

With Ray Anderson

• Big Band Record (Gramavision, 1994) with the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band

With Tim Berne

• The Ancestors (Soul Note, 1983)
• Sanctified Dreams (Columbia, 1987)
• Tim Berne's Fractured Fairy Tales (JMT, 1989)
• Pace Yourself (JMT, 1991)
• Diminutive Mysteries (Mostly Hemphill) (JMT, 1993)
• Nice View (JMT, 1994)
• Open, Coma (Screwgun, 2001)

With Marc Ducret

• News from the Front (JMT, 1992)

With Mark Helias

• Split Image (Enja, 1984)
• The Current Set (Enja, 1987)
• Desert Blue (Enja, 1989)
• Attack the Future (Enja, 1992)

With Andy Laster

• Twirler (Sound Aspects, 1990)
• Hydra (Sound Aspects, 1994)
• Polyogue (Songlines, 1995)
• Soft Shell (Knitting Factory, 2000; recorded 1998)

With Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York

• South Wind (Leo/Libra, 1997)
• The Future of the Past (Enja, 2001)
• Blueprint (MTC, 2003)
• Undulation (PJL, 2005)
• Summer Suite (Libra, 2007)
• Eto (Libra, 2010)

With others

• Stefan Winter - The Little Trumpet (JMT, 1986)
• Michael Moore Quintet – Home Game (Ramboy, 1992; recorded 1988)
• Lindsey Horner – Never No More (Open Minds, 1991; recorded 1989)
• The New York Composers Orchestra - Music by Marty Ehrlich, Robin Holcomb, Wayne Horvitz, Doug Wieselman (New World, 1990)
• Bobby Previte – Music of the Moscow Circus (Gramavision, 1991)
• Roberto Zorzi with Tim Berne, Bobby Previte, Mark Feldman, Herb Robertson, Matteo Ederle, Percy Jones - The Bang (Nueva, 1991; reissued as Bang! by ICTUS, 2011)
• Marc Ducret - News from the Front (JMT, 1992)
• Lesli Dalaba [de] - Core Samples (EarRational, 1992)
• Anthony Davis - X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, An Opera in Three Acts (Gramavision, 1992)
• Klaus König - The Song of Songs (Enja, 1992)
• Sibylle Pomorin [de] / Terry Jenoure - Auguries of Speed (ITM, 1995)
• Paul Lytton Quartet - The Balance of Trade (CIMP, 1996)
• Lou Grassi's PoBand - Mo' Po (CIMP, 1997)
• Joe Fonda - From the Source (Konnex, 1997)
• Barry Guy New Orchestra - Inscape–Tableaux (Intakt, 2001)
• Jay Rosen Trio - Drums 'n Bugles (CIMP, 2001)
• Dominic Duval with Herb Robertson, Bob Hovey, Jay Rosen - Asylem (Leo, 2001)
• Joe Lovano – Viva Caruso (Blue Note, 2002)
• The Fonda / Stevens Group - Twelve Improvisations (Leo, 2004; recorded 2002)
• Mokuto (with Lotte Anker) - Dressed Like a Horse (Ninth World, 2007; recorded 2003)
• Gerry Hemingway Quartet – The Whimbler (Clean Feed, 2004)
• Lou Grassi Quartet - Avanti Galoppi (CIMP, 2004)
• Lou Grassi's PoBand - Infinite Potential (CIMP, 2005)
• Barry Guy New Orchestra - Oort–Entropy (Intakt, 2005)
• Stefan Winter - Der Kastanienball / The Chestnut Ball - The Fall of Lucrezia Borgia, "audio film" (Winter & Winter, 2005)
• Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra - Negra Tigra (ILK, 2005)
• Alípio C. Neto Quartet – The Perfume Comes Before the Flower (Clean Feed, 2008)
• Barry Guy London Jazz Composers Orchestra - Harmos - Live in Schaffhausen (Intakt DVD, 2012; recorded 2008)
• 100nka & Herb Robertson – Superdesert (Not Two, 2009)
• Barry Guy and the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra with Irène Schweizer – Radio Rondo/Schaffhausen Concert (Intakt, 2009)