"I think people are profoundly affected by music in positive ways for example music can absolutely change ones mood just simply hearing a song immediately can remind us and takes us back to when and where we were at physically and mentally when we first heard the song, that memory is with us forever that’s how I want music to affect us as a whole."

Dennis Herrera: Blues from Heart & Soul

Dennis Herrera was born and raised in San Jose, California just a heartbeat away from San Francisco the home of the hippie generation and Golden Gate Bridge.  When asked about his music history Dennis shared, "as a kid in the 60's I was introduced to rock n roll via the transistor radio by my mom we listened to a pop AM station, KLIV and that planted the music seed. Tuning into The Yardbirds, Animals, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Sam and Dave, Wilson Picket etc. became my favorite pastime. At a young age Dennis went to count-less rock & roll, R&B, blues and soul concerts/shows in the Bay Area, San Jose, Oakland, Santa Cruz, San Francisco at the Fillmore, Winterland, Avalon Ballroom, and numerous juke-joint blues clubs.  Dennis' fondly recounts his first guitar given to him by his grandfather, took a handful of guitar lessons and played in garage bands.  Early on Dennis found that his favorite rock groups the Stones, Savoy Brown and original Fleetwood Mac covered songs written by blues greats Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King, Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker just to name a few.

(Photo: Dennis Herrera)

Singer, guitarist and producer Dennis Herrera’s newest release “FOUR” (2024) is a definitive and passionate collection of original blues songs straight from his heart & soul including two bonus remixed tracks; Mean Ole Texas Shuffle with Anson Funderburgh on guitar and You Stole My Heart with Jeff Jorgenson on saxophone. What you will hear is a provocative fusion of Texas, Chicago, West Coast blues grooves, joining the action in the studio energizing Dennis’s fourth album are veteran blues musicians with versatile talents of the highest order.  This is an extremely solid, self-released, twelve tracks graced with rhythmic upbeats of traditional blues grooves inspired by the multitude of distinguished blues master’s past and present.

Interview by Michael Limnios                Special Thanks: Frank Roszak Promotions

What do you learn about yourself from the blues and what does the blues mean to you?

I’ve learned to accept my limitations I mean I can’t live forever and I cannot shared as it were on a solo like a heavy rock guitarist I play from the heart and soul making the most out of single notes without the technical stuff, the blues means feelings I can express about life, love, good times heartache & crazy times with my guitar, lyrics and singing. It’s soothing music that puts me in a meaningful head space.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

My sound is not unlike the blues musicians I’ve listened and learned from such as T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed all the King’s and so many more I haven’t reinvented the wheel but I do work towards a sound of my own, my drive comes from my desire to entertain and stay true to playing blues with musicians like myself and hopefully selling the records I make and getting paid for shows, so I can keep the quality of the music and players at the highest standard to please our audience.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I’ve loved music from an early age listening to the radio and my record player day in and day out alone or with friends, I learned to play the guitar for fun and began playing seriously after a teacher said I was flunking my high school music class but if I played for the school’s year end talent show I would pass, I did and got an A. One highlight has been recording with the great Anson Funderburgh who I am honored to call friend and mentor.

"I’ve learned to accept my limitations I mean I can’t live forever and I cannot shared as it were on a solo like a heavy rock guitarist I play from the heart and soul making the most out of single notes without the technical stuff, the blues means feelings I can express about life, love, good times heartache & crazy times with my guitar, lyrics and singing. It’s soothing music that puts me in a meaningful head space." (Dennis Herrera with Anson Funderburgh / Photo © by Jacki Sockheim)

Currently you’ve one more release with Anson Funderburgh. How did that relationship come about? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “Four”?

I had the pleasure of meeting Anson Funderburgh through my brother in the late nineties and have been to many of his concerts as a result we became good friends and golf buddies for years. One interesting story about the new recording is I started the recording right when COVID started and had to shelve it 2019 till after I moved to Prescott, Arizona and finally finished and released it September 21st, 2024.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I was a part of the “hippie” culture in the 60’s and 70’s when music was free and spirits were high (literally) not so much business just plain fun there were free concerts all over the west coast where I lived I mean there will never be another Woodstock that generation was world changing and I miss the freedom we shared living for the music in peace. My hopes are that we don’t lose sight of how music can be a part of our everyday lives and can influence who we are and what we can or cannot accept, song lyrics have the unique power to send messages that helps us feel loved, funny, sad, relaxed and magically inspired so I guess my fear would be if somehow and for the most part sadly we lose this ultimate freedom of expression.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

I believe music heals our everyday worries and woes it helps improve our mental and emotional health it has the power of bringing people together just like the song Get Together by the Youngbloods, I think people are profoundly affected by music in positive ways for example music can absolutely change ones mood just simply hearing a song immediately can remind us and takes us back to when and where we were at physically and mentally when we first heard the song, that memory is with us forever that’s how I want music to affect us as a whole.                     (Dennis Herrera / Photo © by Matt Halvorson)

"My hopes are that we don’t lose sight of how music can be a part of our everyday lives and can influence who we are and what we can or cannot accept, song lyrics have the unique power to send messages that helps us feel loved, funny, sad, relaxed and magically inspired so I guess my fear would be if somehow and for the most part sadly we lose this ultimate freedom of expression."

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

In hopes of keeping my music relevant I simply keep playing live, recording and I upload all my recordings on the YouTube, CD Baby, Apple Music, many streaming source’s, and radio outlets, I also have a Facebook account which helps with media presence and a website where anyone can sign up to the mailing list for upcoming dates and to chat with me I wholeheartedly encourage the younger generation to listen to and learn the history of blues and keep it alive.

Are there any specific memories at the Fillmore, Winterland, Avalon Ballroom, and local blues juke joints that you would like to tell us about?!

I lived with my parents in San Jose during the 70’s and went to San Francisco’s Winterland, Avalon Ballroom and Fillmore religiously, one time we went to see Johnny Winters with Lonnie Mack opening well we settled in on the floor and when the stage lights came on David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars were on blasting music we were not familiar with, there was a lot of sparkling glamour, glitter and pyrotechnics on stage and off stage in the audience which sent us running for the exit, once outside we looked at up at the Markee and the Johnny Winter show was the next week or day or whatever I forget but I’ll never forget that hilarious and crazy night, we ended up laughing and eating crab legs and sourdough french bread on the San Francisco Wharf. I later came to appreciate the genius of David Bowie. I even listened to his music although I never bought his records or went to another of his concerts.

Local blues joints? Well, some of the regular blues joints I use to go to was The Blue Cafe in Long Beach, CA, JJ’s Lounge in San Jose, Eli’s Mile High Club in Oakland, CA, Slims in San Francisco owned by Boz Scaggs and Babe ‘n Rick’s Inn in Los Angeles, every one of these joints were stellar and vibrant training grounds for playing the blues hosting our renowned blues heroes nightly and well just pure loads of fun!

For 54 years, Babe's and Ricky's Inn, a club run by the late “Mama" Laura against all odds harbored nothing but the greatest live blues music many of the heavy weights would come play for Mama Laura, I had the honor of working the club as bartender and helped run the very popular blues jams, for years I was mama’s driver to the club and home as she shared story after engrossing stories about living in the blues world, this in particular was an exceptional blues music lesson and experience I hold dear.

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(Photo: Dennis Herrera)