Dutch saxophonist Benjamin Herman’s fame spread beyond jazz circles in the 1990s when he formed the groundbreaking ensemble New Cool Collective. Having made a name as soloist while still a teenager, Benjamin Herman has appeared on over a hundred records with all kinds of artists, from Candy Dulfer to Misha Mengelberg. With New Cool Collective as well as with his smaller bands, his gigs are inspired by dance floor Jazz, Surf and Punk music, Free Jazz and traditional music from all over the world, attracting music fans of all genres as well as straight ahead Jazz aficionados.

Today, Benjamin Herman is one of the most original and productive jazz musicians in the Netherlands exploring influences beyond the confines of the Jazz world. Herman has also built a career in Holland and abroad as a composer. He recorded and toured with Paul Weller, programmed several festivals, toured in Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, Russia, Britain, Canada, England, Ireland and Japan and worked on numerous projects in the Netherlands.

Benjamin longed to get to work on something a little more intimate with one of his favourite settings; bass and drums. This resulted in Trouble, his 16th solo work and is a collaboration with the 24-year-old Daniel von Piekartz. “Originally, Daniel was just going to play on two tracks. He’s incredibly musical and the ideas just kept coming. – and we just didn’t feel like stopping,” says Herman. By the end, Von Piekartz had sang and played on eight of the ten pieces that can be found on Trouble. They tackle pieces by the likes of Fats Waller, Sly Stone, JJ Cale, Cal Tjader and Henry Mancini.