It has been said of Fred Hersch that “when it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz, there are two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else” (All About Jazz).
Over more than four decades, Hersch has been an influential creative force as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator and recording artist. His work in trio, duo and larger ensembles is celebrated and studied, but he is also one of the rare pianists who can completely captivate an audience alone at the piano.
In this spellbinding solo performance, Hersch reminds us why he is a master of the form, moving freely from Brazilian music and his own compositions to Thelonious Monk and Joni Mitchell.
The set unfolds according to Hersch’s intuition. Between songs, as he addresses the audience, you can almost see him deciding in real time what to play next, a testament to the breadth of his repertoire, the depth of his musical instincts, and the freedom that comes from a lifetime spent at the piano.
