Photo by Liberty Fets Photography at the Knickerbocker in Grand Rapids 6-18-19
This is our environment
This is Our Environment CD
$15.00
To purchase sheet music, please go to the “Sheet Music” page.
To stream the album, click here.
Album artwork by Molly Jane Design
What is the environment? Too often, this word is taken for granted, with little time spent thinking about what it means. To many, the environment refers to the separated natural world filled with wilderness. However, at the first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, the environment also encompasses “all aspects of daily life-where we live, work, and play.”
The key word in the title of this project is “our.” One cannot draw a clear line between environment and people. Rather, everyday, people interact with and are affected by their environment in different ways. For some, the environment is an escape from society, while for others the environment serves as a stark reminder of the injustices that persist throughout society. Even though it may be taking for granted at times, the environment provides all of us with countless necessities, including breathable air, drinkable water, sustenance through food, protection from natural disasters, and climate mitigation. A threat to the environment, then, is in reality a threat to people.
Yet, the direct impacts are disproportionately felt by frontline communities, usually determined by other marginalizing factors in society, including racial, social, and economic factors.
“This is Our Environment” brings together original music, spoken word, and environmental justice in order to challenge our understanding of the environment to push us towards a more just and equitable society founded on a sense of community.
About the Music
They Say There Are Beautiful Trees
"I don't know when I'll see you next. Only the Angel Gabriel knows when each of our times comes. But when it does, and gravity leaves our feet, and we rise up, I know I'll see you up there. And they say there are beautiful trees in Heaven." - Harold Areno
This piece is inspired by Arlie Russell Hochschild’s Strangers in Their Own Land, a book exploring the seemingly conflicting viewpoints of Louisiana residents who both love the environment they live in yet reject any environmental regulations that could preserve their land. The book beautifully illustrates how it is possible to build bridges with people and communities of opposing politics.
Solastalgia
"The homesickness you have when you are still at home." Oftentimes, environmental degradation leads to this feeling. Some areas are abundant with nature and natural resources. For many, these places are their homes. Then, one day, corporations extract resources until the area is no longer recognizable. One is only left wondering what happened to what they call home.
Inspired by Naomi Klein’s story of the island of Nauru in her book This Changes Everything.
Is this my fault?
Shortly after the Flint Water Crisis came to light, I went to Flint to volunteer by going door-to-door making sure residents had everything they needed. One story I heard was about a mother who had two young children that were constantly sick. Though this was a result of the contaminated water, she could not help but ask herself, “Is this my fault?” When writing this piece, I found myself reflecting on my experiences with anxiety, as I often ask myself this question.
Makes No Cents
There is a threat to forests and communities in the South – industrial biomass. Corporations clear cut forests for profit while stealing the clean air and water that communities depend on for their health and well-being. Through my work with Dogwood Alliance, an environmental non-profit in Asheville, NC, I had the opportunity to work alongside these frontline communities, particularly the Concerned Citizens of Richmond County, and experience the incredible resiliency they have.
The title is in reference to the lack of logic behind biomass. It does not prove to be economically sound – making no “cents” – and does not prove to be beneficial to the environment or community – making no “sense.”
Iron Eyes
The inspiration for this piece comes from a passage from Naomi Klein’s book, No Is Not Enough, regarding an experience she had at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s camp resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline. I was at another part of camp when this event occurred. “I will never forget the experience of being at the main camp when the news arrived, after the months of resistance, that the Obama administration had finally denied the pipeline permit. I happened to be standing with Tokata Iron Eyes, a fiercely grounded yet playful thirteen-year-old from Standing Rock who had helped kick-start the movement against the pipeline. I turned on my phone video and asked her how she felt about the breaking news. ‘Like I have my future back,’ she replied, and then she burst into tears. I did too.”
Estrange Us
There are dark forces that strive to divide us from the environment and from each other. The more connected we are with the environment and one another, the stronger we all are. But, the more divisive we become, the weaker we become. The world we live in encourages competition, but I believe we should instead focus on collaboration.
Communion (ft. RaShad Eas)
No one person has the answer, but when we come together as a community, we can find the solutions. For true solutions, we should turn to the communities who are on the frontlines. Oftentimes, we try speaking for these communities, but instead we should be listening to their voice.
Visions of Freedom
Freedom from desire. Freedom from greed. Freedom from oppression. Freedom to enjoy the outdoors. Freedom from inequality. Freedom is our goal, but no one is truly free until we are all free.
Spoken Word Pieces
For each of the spoken word artists on the album, I simply gave them the prompt, “What does the environment mean to you?” and they wrote and performed the pieces you hear, with background music written by myself and performed by the band.
Joseph Herbst Sextet:
Evan Taylor - Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Joseph Herbst - Alto and Soprano Saxophones
Liany Mateo - Bass
Luther S. Allison - Piano and Rhodes
Peter Martin - Guitar
Zach McKinney - Drums
Featured Guests:
Aubrey Johnson - Vocals (Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12)
Dasan Ahanu - Spoken Word (Track 2)
Cynthia ‘THiA’ Sharpe - Spoken Word (Track 4)
Yexandra 'Yex' Diaz - Spoken Word (Tracks 6, 8)
RaShad Eas - Spoken Word (Tracks 10, 12, 13)
Produced by Joseph Herbst
Recorded by Eric Wojahn and Josh Wiechmann at Solid Sound Recording Co., Ann Arbor, MI
Recorded on June 24th & 25th, 2019
Aubrey Johnson recorded by Randy Ingram at Ingram Music Studios, Brooklyn, NY
Yexandra ‘Yex’ Diaz recorded by Cuba Carter at Made by Us Studios, New Haven, CT
Rashad Eas, Dasan Ahanu, and Cynthia ‘THiA’ Sharpe recorded by Greg Elkins at Pershing Hill Sound, Raleigh, NC
Mixed and mastered by Jim Alfredson
Released on NextLevel
UPDATES
January 22nd
The album is officially released! I’m so excited and thankful for everyone who brought this to life and supported me along the way. And of course, I’m excited for you to finally get to hear it!
January 8th
The single, “They Say There Are Beautiful Trees,” has been released! Only two more weeks until the album is released on NextLevel.
November 11th
The CD’s arrived today! It’s a little surreal seeing them in the real. What a great reminder that the release date is coming up! The album will be released on January, 22nd, 2021 - but I have more music coming your way before then, so stay tuned!
August 19th
The band and I held a virtual screening of the album tonight and answered some questions from those who tuned in. I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity to share a sneak peak of the album and especially for all of the positive support and encouragement folks gave us.
August 4th
The album artwork is done! I had the opportunity to work with Molly Jane on the artwork, and I am so happy with how it turned out. She beautifully captured the essence of the project in her design. You can see the artwork of the cover above.
July 21st
In lieu of an in person tour this year of "This is Our Environment," we are holding a two-part virtual event. This first part will an online screening of the album, "This is Our Environment," to give you the opportunity to hear the full album before the release in early 2021. Throughout the screening, my fellow sextet members will join me as we talk about this project, how it came to be, who we are, and whatever else you want to know. This event will be on August 19th at 7:00pm EST. You can find more info here.
The second part will be another project entitled “from the shadows,” which will be released as a video in mid-December. I will not be posting updates about that here, but you will be able to find it on my website. as it’s own project.
May 1st
The final masters are done! I am so happy with how this final product sounds. Everyone on it sounds absolutely amazing, inspiring me each time I listen back. Now, I’m in talks with a label to release it through, and I’m planning the liner notes and artwork. No release date is set yet, but it will be at least a few more months. Stay tuned for some virtual events with this project between now and the release.
March 30th
The mixes are done and the album is now ready for mastering. I am so happy with how everything is sounding, and I look forward to the final steps to finish the album. Though the future is more uncertain than usual right now, listening to this project again and again has me excited to reunite with the band and bring this project to life in person once again.
September 30th
I traveled back to Michigan to spend a couple days with Jim Alfredson to do the bulk of the editing and mixing of the album. The recording is coming together is only a few steps away from being finalized.
June 27th
We just recording the sextet for this album following our five day tour across Michigan. We played in five different cities, including the Knickerbocker in Grand Rapids, Dolores in Ypsilanti, UrbanBeat in Lansing, The Book Nook in Montague, and The Co-op in Ann Arbor. Two days later we were in the studio at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor for two full days of recording, getting eight originals of mine and putting music behind seven spoken word pieces by four different artists.
This whole experience was absolutely incredible, and I’d like to thank everyone who came out to the shows and supported us along the way. I’m looking forward to finishing the album over the next few months and sharing it with y’all soon!
Media
Tuesday Lunch with Abe - I had the privilege of joining Abe Perlstein on his radio show, Tuesday Lunch with Abe, to talk all about This is Our Environment. Listen to the show here. Audio courtesy of Tuesday Lunch With Abe radio series – www.Facebook.com/TuesdayLunchWithAbe
The Theisen Journal - “Herbst’s hour-long album is in turns joyful, fiery, heartfelt, pleading, fun, and - yes - deeply moral, but above all it is a celebration of creativity and of collaborative ecstasy.”
Textura - “Still, what recommends This Is Our Environment most is the way Herbst translates those ideas into a musical form that's compelling, imaginative, and original. Grounding his fresh take on contemporary jazz is a versatile sextet…”
Contemporary Fusion Reviews - “There was plenty of room for each of the players to “speak their piece” on “Make No Cents” (it clocks in at 9:40)… the piece exemplifies the talent that Joseph really has, too… wrapping the listener in with musical genius and the ability to convey how important it is that we stand together – with his music…”
La Habitación del Jazz - “‘This is our environment’ is a beautiful album, well executed and with a noble purpose.’’
Midwest Record - “Could be the sax and the care for the ecology that does it but you can really feel the Paul Winter vibe floating over this session. Adding some rounds of activism to the mix, this young man with a good head on his shoulders knows how to make proper statements at many levels of the game. With jazz for oldsters and activism for millenials, this cat has his ear on the pulse.”
JP’s Music Blog - “His new studio album "This Is Our Environment" finds his sextet mixing jazz vibes with R&B flavor, along with poetry to help lead the cause of social and environmental injustice. The new fourteen track release begins with the up-tempo, instrumental swinging tempo of "They Say There Are Beautiful Trees" and the thought-provoking, spoken-word of "Momma Nature," featuring Dasan Ahanu. You can fell the passion in the band's nearly eight-minute performance of "Solastalgia" and the graceful touch of "Is This My Fault?," which showcases the band's delicate touch. The words of "Erring Of The Revolution Pt 1 & 2" are told with a strong purpose by Yexandra "Yez" Diaz, while the nearly ten minute interlude "Makes No Cents" gives you time to think and ponder the problems with today's society. The Joseph Herbst Sextet finish their new album with the gentle flow of "Communion," featuring the poetic rhymes of ReShad Eas, before the uplifting hope of "Visions Of Freedom" closes out the new album on a musical high.”
Jazz square - “And music for him is just a means to convey his views, his pain to as many people as possible. This was fully manifested in his debut album This Is Our Environment.” Note: The original review is in Russian. This is a rough translation.
Jazz Blues News - I had the opportunity to do an email interview with Jazz Blues News.
Photo by Liberty Fets Photography at Solid Sound Studios 6-25-19