https://www.jazzweekly.com/2025/01/dennis-herrera-four/

Dennis Herrera: Four

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Guitar and singer Dennis Herrera teams u with Lee Campbell-Robi Bean/dr, Rich Wenzel-Sid Morris/key-p, Frank DeRose-Bill Stuve/b and some guests on a blues rocking collection of originals. He boogies like ZZ Top on “Blues And Roll” with some snarling tenor sax from Jeff Jorgenson on the shuffling “Can You Feel It” and gritty “Tenderness I See” The band two steps around “Long Time Coming” and sizzles on “Mean Ole Texas Shuffle”. Texas road blues.

Robert Sellani, President

On behalf of NAZBA the Northern Arizona Blues Alliance, I wish to congratulate Dennis Herrera and his 2024 CD "FOUR" in making it through to the next round of the Best Self-Produced CD!  The final results will be announced at the finals of the 40th International Blues Challenge on Saturday, January 11, 2025 held at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN. Please Wish Dennis the best of luck and you can visit his website to purchase a copy at 

httsp://dennisherrera.com/store 

Making a Scene Magazine

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing editor of Making a Scene
Nov. 5, 2024

“Four” is co-produced by Dennis Herrera and Rich Wenzel and recorded at Ardent Audio Productions in Torrance, California; the album was mixed and mastered by Wenzel with some additional recording completed at “Kid” Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose.

Dennis Herrera was born and raised in San Jose, just a heartbeat away from San Franisco, the home of the hippie generation. Herrera states “as a kid in the 60’s, I was introduced to rock n’ roll via the transister radio by my mom, we listened to a pop AM station…I got tuned into The Yardbirds, Animals, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Sam and Dave, and Wilson Pickett; when I was 15 I saw James Brown live, and I was blown away”. Herrera was given his first guitar by his grandfather, and won the student talent show. Herrera found his favorite rock groups, the Stones, Savoy Brown and the original Fleetwood Mac, covered songs by Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, and John Lee Hooker, just to name a few. The inspired Herrera has three previous CD’s.

“Four” opens with “Can You Feel It” an instrumental with Jeff Jorgenson on saxophone; Wenzel on Hammond B-3 and piano; and the rhythm section of Bill Stuve, bass; and Lee Campbell, drums. “All Said and Done” is a great vocal from guitarist Herrera as he croons “I take my time to pick and choose my women, and when it’s done, I’ve had my fun…I don’t worry my baby’s by my side again, it’s the luck of the draw, so they say”, Wenzel is on the B-3, while Sanford plays saxophone, and Sid Morris plays piano.

“Long Time Comin'” once again features Jorgenson on sax, while Gordan Peeke plays percussion; and Morris piano; this is a great blues that sounds both old and familiar, yet new at the same time; Stuve is on bass. while Robi Bean plays drums. All I want is “Blues and Roll”, with Morris on piano, also includes Bill Bates on 2nd guitar. “Tenderness I See” with backing vocalists Tony Jones and Nina Mac, includes Frank DeRose, bass; and Lee Campbell, drums “let me kiss you, your sweet tenderness I see…it’s all I know, your tenderness I feel, all day and all night”.

“Insta Groove” is another instrumental with some more great guitar from Herrera, with Jorgenson on sax, and Wenzel on organ, “I still can’t believe…I read the news…and there we are, running from each other…it’s all too much…I know it’s true”. “Lazy!” features some more great guitar from Herrera, infectious drumming from Campbell, and Wenzel on piano, “I feel lazy, oh now, honey you just know what to do, you got me feeling good thru and thru”.

On “All This Time”, with Sanford on sax, Herrera sings “I hear the music play, you might not hear what I say, but I can hear the music play, all this time”.  “Preskitt” features Stuve, bass; Jorgenson sax; and Wenzel on the Hammond B-3, “I wake up in the morning, looking out my window…I’m keeping it real with the woman of my dreams”.

Two old songs are re-visited “Mean Ole Texas Shuffle” from 2015 with Anson Funderburgh added on guitar; and a revived version of “You Stole My Heart” from 2018, with Jorgenson on sax, and Wenzel playing  piano.

Dennis Herrera’s “Four” is a solid album of twelve songs, with rhythmic upbeats, of traditional blues grooves inspired by a multitude of distinguished blues master’s past and present. Herrera should reach a wide audience and great recognition, with the release of this fine collection.

https://www.makingascene.org/dennis-herrera-four/

BLUESTOWN MUSIC
BLUES, ROCK, ROOTS & AMERICANA

Dennis Herrera – Four
Format: CD – Digital / Label: Deep Groove Records
Release: 2024

Bert van Kessel
Nov. 15, 2024

I must admit that Californian singer/ guitarist / producer Dennis Herrera is a new name to yours truly. Yet this is already his fourth release, as you may have gathered from its title, after one album under his own name (‘You Stole My Heart’ from 2018) and two as the Dennis Herrera Blues Band ( Blues Well Done”  from 2015 and ‘Livin Life Not Worrying’ from 2017), with support from his trusted companions, Dennis Herrera’s take on the blues is a cheerfully positive one.

This new album is a highly listenable collection of twelve original blues tracks. The final two are bonus tracks, remixes of older songs, namely Mean Ole Texas Shuffle with the great Anson Funderburgh on guitar and You Stole My Heart with Jeff Jorgenson on stunning saxophone.

With his very tight band Dennis Herrera has created a rock solid upbeat amalgam of California, Texas and Memphis blues. They frequently make use of traditional riffs, grooves and shuffles creating an infectious blues bar sound. If you are into foot-tappin’, head-boppin’ and beer-drinking blues music, Dennis Herrera is your man.

Right from opening track Can You Feel It these passionate players lay down an infectious groove and continue doing so throughout. Alex Holland and Steve Wills excel on saxophone and Hammond respectively. The funky All Said And Done relies heavily on the gaiety of Herrera’s electric guitar, which is continued on the happy-go-lucky Long Time Comin’, which is driven on by some fiery sax riffs.

Blues And Roll fits perfectly in the John Lee Hooker catalogue. Then it’s time to sit back and relax with the soulful Tenderness I See; the background singers interact beautifully with some masterful electric guitar. Then the horns take us to exit Memphis. Listening to the exuberant Lazy! it’s not hard to imagine John Belushi frolicking on stage.

The regular album closes in a more relaxed mood before things are fired up agin with the two remixes, undeniably the most exciting tracks of this delightfully entertaining album. So grab a beer and listen up!

www.bluestownmusic.nl/review-dennis-herrera-four/

BLUES GR * Keeping The Blues Alive!

Q&A with Arizona based guitarist Dennis Herrera, definitive and passionate music straight from his heart & soul

"I think people are profoundly affected by music in positive ways for example music can absolutely change ones mood just simply hearing a song immediately can remind us and takes us back to when and where we were at physically and mentally when we first heard the song, that memory is with us forever that’s how I want music to affect us as a whole."

Dennis Herrera: Blues from Heart & Soul

Dennis Herrera was born and raised in San Jose, California just a heartbeat away from San Francisco the home of the hippie generation and Golden Gate Bridge.  When asked about his music history Dennis shared, "as a kid in the 60's I was introduced to rock n roll via the transistor radio by my mom we listened to a pop AM station, KLIV and that planted the music seed. Tuning into The Yardbirds, Animals, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Sam and Dave, Wilson Picket etc. became my favorite pastime. At a young age Dennis went to count-less rock & roll, R&B, blues and soul concerts/shows in the Bay Area, San Jose, Oakland, Santa Cruz, San Francisco at the Fillmore, Winterland, Avalon Ballroom, and numerous juke-joint blues clubs.  Dennis' fondly recounts his first guitar given to him by his grandfather, took a handful of guitar lessons and played in garage bands.  Early on Dennis found that his favorite rock groups the Stones, Savoy Brown and original Fleetwood Mac covered songs written by blues greats Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King, Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker just to name a few.  

Singer, guitarist and producer Dennis Herrera’s newest release “FOUR” (2024) is a definitive and passionate collection of original blues songs straight from his heart & soul including two bonus remixed tracks; Mean Ole Texas Shuffle with Anson Funderburgh on guitar and You Stole My Heart with Jeff Jorgenson on saxophone. What you will hear is a provocative fusion of Texas, Chicago, West Coast blues grooves, joining the action in the studio energizing Dennis’s fourth album are veteran blues musicians with versatile talents of the highest order.  This is an extremely solid, self-released, twelve tracks graced with rhythmic upbeats of traditional blues grooves inspired by the multitude of distinguished blues master’s past and present.

 

Interview by Michael Limnios                Special Thanks: Frank Roszak Promotions

Vicente Zumel 2013 - Keeping The Blues Alive Award

Artista/Grupo: Dennis Herrera
Álbum: Dennis Herrera“Four"
Discográfica: Das Entertainment / Frank Roszak
Año publicación: 2024
Fecha crítica: 12/2024
Valoración: MUY BUENO
Fred Roszak International Recipient by The Blues Foundation
www.lahoradelblues.com

I'm glad to announce that some tunes of your cd/cds will be on air at "La Hora del Blues" show during the whole month.

I also want to inform you that now you can read the review of your cd/cds in Spanish at https://lahoradelblues.com/criticas/ and in English at https://lahoradelblues.com/en/record-reviews/.Texas, Chicago and West Coast blues lovers are really lucky with the release of the fourth album by singer and guitar player Dennis Herrera, a musician born in San Jose, California who, when he was a child back in the 60’s, first-hand lived the hippie movement, listening on his mother’s radio to countless albums by Yardbirds, Animals, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Sam & Dave or Wilson Picket. At the age of 15 he saw James Brown live and he was so impressed that he immediately decided that he was going to devote himself to music. Thanks to a guitar his grandfather had given him, he began to play at student parties until one of his teachers encouraged him to present himself at a contest for new talents. Listening to bands like the Stones or Savoy Brown performing covers of great bluesmen he discovered Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King, Howling Wolf or John Lee Hooker and, although along his career he has done various projects of different styles, for some time now he has decided to work more deeply to play blues, a kind of music that has always been present in his life.

The album proves Dennis’ skills to develop a repertoire based on the most traditional blues rhythms, always infused with a very actual display that has allowed Dennis Herrera to consolidate his good position into the blues scene.

Ten own compositions plus two bonus remixed tracks make up an interesting recording where Dennis has surrounded himself with an excellent group of veteran and very professional musicians like, among others, Anson Funderburgh, Bill Bates, Bill Stuve or Rich Wenzel.
Philip Verhaege  review Keys and Chords, CD and Vinyl review blog
"...Singer, guitarist and producer Dennis Herrera’s newest release “FOUR” is a definitive and passionate collection of original blues songs straight from his heart & soul. A provocative fusion of Texas, Chicago, West coast blues grooves. This is a delightfully solid, self released, twelve track outing graced with an enticing sound inspired by the multitude of distinguished blues master musicians and singers past and present."

Concert Monkey

Review - Oct. 13, 2024

Translated excerpt from review write-up:

'Four' is an album that will appeal to both bluespurists and newcomers. Dennis Herrera manages to leave a lasting impression in the genre with his fourth album, while staying true to his own style. 'Four' is a carefully composed ode to the blues, in which traditional influences and modern flair come together. The record contains a mix of classic blues rhythms, powerful vocals and refined instrumentation.

Walter Vanheuckelom

https://www.concertmonkey.be/albumrev.../dennis-herrera-four

Frank Roszak KBA Recipient 2014 Publicist

Zicazic.com
Zicazine


Chroniques CDs
Review from Fred Delforge (author)
2024-10-31
FRANCE

"Back on the front of the bins this fall with a new album, "Four", Dennis Herrera presents us an hour of music  an anthology of compositions that come straight from the heart and soul of a talented artist who manages wonderfully to mix the influences of the blues of Texas, Chicago and the West Coast to serve us his fourth personal album by putting the small dishes in the big ones. Class and talent to spare but also and above all a foolproof feeling and crazy energy, this is all that emerges from "Four" from the first to the last note, with the bonus of a real spontaneity and a great live side that is pleasant to hear. We immediately get caught up in the game of rare pearls like "Can You Feel It", "All Said And Done", "Blues And Roll", "Insta Groove" or "All This Time" and of course the two re-recorded and rearranged nuggets that are "Mean Ole Texas Shuffle" where we appreciate the talent and subtlety of Anson Funderburgh and finally "You Stole My Heart", the tittle track of the bluesman's previous opus. Here is an album that has not finished warming us up as winter approaches!"