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Mike Herriott Reflects on a Landmark 2024: Tales of Tricksters and Vagabonds Caps a Year of Musical Triumphs It's been a whirlwind of music and life for Mike Herriott, recently capped off with his fantastic and his latest incredibly novel album Tales of Tricksters and Vagabonds. The native of St. John's Newfoundland who now resides in Toronto has been busy supporting the record, which uses shadier figures through classic literature for Herriott's innovative and imaginative sonic jumping off point. "I have always found a certain fascination with the more troublesome characters of the fictional world - maybe I'm not unique in that as there are so many stories exploring the seedier side of our imagination, " Herriott says, opting for a "'programmatic' way to tell the story of someone of whom we already know their complete narrative arc and is from the mind of someone else." Whether it's Sir John Falstaff from Shakespeare’s Henry VI and Henry V, Puss in Boots, Mercutio from Romeo & Juliet, Rumpelstiltskin, Uriah Heep from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, or Rodion Roskolnikov from Doestoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Herriott crafted a brilliant piece of music inspired from the literary greats. The album (featuring Herriott's cat Quincy on the cover much to the consternation of Herriott's other cat Zsa Zsa) was widely acclaimed by Record World International, The Wholenote, and The Muse who described it as "light-hearted" and "whimsical" while being "classic and timeless." “Tales" is the latest masterpiece in a career that's seen Herriott involved in works that have earned various awards including Grammy Awards and Emmy Awards. He was the lead trumpeter on "To Be Loved”, an album which earned a Grammy Award (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album) for Michael Bublé as well as Juno nominations. Juno nominations have also come from his work with the Canadian Brass, Jann Arden, and country star Paul Brandt, demonstrating Herriott's spectrum of musical malleability. He was also the principal trumpeter for Sounds of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which earned an Emmy Award. Herriott has also worked with a wide array of musicians, ranging from Brandt and Bublé to Arden and former Bon Jovi guitar legend Richie Sambora. This is in addition to working on a slew of projects with Canadian media broadcasters and channels such as CTV and CBC and Sony, PBS, Disney, Warner, Universal and NBC in the United States. Herriott's own discography dates back to his 1995 effort Free At Last (Mike Herriott Quintet), 2001's A Piece of the Action (Mike Herriott Quartet), 2004's Unto The Breach (Mike Herriott Sextet), 2010's Flights Vol. 1 and 2011's Home for the Holidays (both as "H2" or the Harkness Herriott Duo with collaborator Sean Harkness). His first exclusive solo album was 2013's Off The Road (which featured Arturo Sandoval) which was followed by 2016's Isn't Life Grand. In 2019 he appeared on (his wife) Ofra Harnoy's Back To Bach effort and her 2020 follow up On The Rock (which won a 2021 MusicNL Award). Prior to 2023's Tales of Tricksters and Vagabonds, Herriott released Portrait, his third collaborative effort with Harnoy. This past year has seen Herriott touring with Harnoy and appearing with his own quartet, in concert, as well as getting airplay on Toronto's Jazz FM, Classical FM, NPR, CBC Music and CBC Radio, among many others around the globe. His appearances throughout North America, as well as extensive tours through South-East Asia, have seen him share the stage with the late Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Rob McConnell, Phil Nimmons, and Bublé, among countless others. Whether producing solo projects, working with Harnoy in the studio and on stage, or being in demand as a lead trumpeter in orchestras for musical theatre productions in Toronto and throughout North America, Mike Herriott is making the most of his life and his musical career. |
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