Photo: Hreinn Gudlaugsson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jazz trumpet always tugs at me, and Herb Robertson is a connoisseur's pick. Born Clarence C. Robertson in Plainfield, New Jersey, and trained at Berklee, he cut solo records but spent much of his career as the in-demand sideman behind heavyweights like Tim Berne, Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, and David Sanborn. I'm drawn to that role, the master who lifts someone else's music from underneath rather than chasing the spotlight; it takes a deeper musicianship than soloing ever does. He passed at the end of 2024, but that smoky flugelhorn tone lingers. Understated yet essential, a true craftsman, and I tip my hat to him.
Overview
Clarence C. "Herb" Robertson (February 21, 1951 – December 10, 2024) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on February 21, 1951, and attended the Berklee College of Music. He recorded solo albums and worked as a sideman for Tim Berne, Anthony Davis, Bill Frisell, George Gruntz, Paul Motian, Bobby Previte, and David Sanborn.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Herb Robertson
- Name (Japanese)
- ハーブ・ロバートソン
- Reading
- はーぶ・ろばーとそん
- Born
- February 21, 1951 – December 10, 2024
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Rabbit
- Origin
- Plainfield, New Jersey, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- jazz musician / trumpeter / music arranger / composer / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Berklee College of Music
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Jazz musician — see all → · Trumpeter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.