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Jimmy Herring: Subject to Change Without Notice

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During Jimmy Herring’s tenure in the highly regarded instrumental Grateful Dead tribute act Jazz Is Dead, the current Widespread Panic axeman showed off an uncanny ability to simulate the hard-to-replicate wide range of emotion found in the human voice via guitar. Herring puts those skills to good use on his exceptional second solo album, Subject to Change Without Notice. Supported by a topnotch backing band, and featuring guest appearances by Béla Fleck, Bill Evans and Nicky Sanders, Subject to Change Without Notice finds Herring mashing disparate genres such as jazz fusion, blues, psychedelic rock and bluegrass with ease throughout its all-instrumental tracks. The guitarist brings his signature tone to smoking versions of The Beatles’ “Within You, Without You” and Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “Hope.” Yet it’s the album’s eight originals, such as the swinging jazz fusion track “Twelve Keys,” the hillbilly romp “Curfew” and the revelatory funk of “Bildgewater Blues,” that stand out as clear highlights.