The Herbaliser Band

The Herbaliser Band at The Jazz Cafe

The Herbaliser are a British jazz, hip-hop and electronic music group, formed in London in the early 1990s by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba.

Emerging from the UK's burgeoning instrumental hip-hop scene, The Herbaliser became closely associated with the influential Ninja Tune label. Their sound combines hip-hop production and turntablism with jazz, funk, soul and cinematic influences, often incorporating live instrumentation alongside samples and beats.

The group released their debut album, Remedies, in 1995, followed by albums including Blow Your Headphones (1997), Very Mercenary (1999), Something Wicked This Way Comes (2002) and Take London (2005). Over the years, their recordings have featured a range of guest vocalists and musicians, notably American rapper Jean Grae a.k.a. What? What?.

Alongside their studio work, The Herbaliser developed into a substantial live band, translating their sample-heavy productions into performances driven by horns, bass, drums, keyboards and turntables. Their distinctive mixture of hard hip-hop beats, brass-heavy funk and soundtrack-style arrangements has given them a recognisable place within British alternative hip-hop and the wider Ninja Tune era.

The Herbaliser Band are back with a lineup that currently includes Ralph Lamb (trumpet/flugelhorn), Andrew Ross (tenor/baritone sax-flute), James Morton (alto sax), Micah Moody (drums), Patrick Dawes (percussion) & Ollie Teeba (turntables).

An AGMP Concerts presentation.