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Fred Hersch: 10th Anniversary at the Jazz Standard, May 22 - 27

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Friday, 24 May 2013

Fred Hersch: 10th Anniversary at the Jazz Standard, May 22 - 27

Written by Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor

Monday, 21 May 2012

Fred Hersch©Michael Jackson

"One of the small handful of brilliant musicians of his generation." –Downbeat Magazine

Over his nearly three decades of performing and composing, pianist Fred Hersch has earned five Grammy nominations as well as critical accolades as: “a master who plays it his way" (Ben Ratliff, The New York Times); “a pristine pianist with a poet’s soul--a pair of qualities that combine to especially dazzling effect" (Joan Anderman, The Boston Globe); “one of the most sensitive and genuinely lyrical players in jazz” (Bob Blumenthal, The Atlantic Monthly); "...a constantly inventive soloist” (Leonard Feather, The Los Angeles Times); and simply, “...a poet of a pianist.”(Whitney Balliett, The New Yorker). And for ten years, Hersch has been a favorite at Manhattan’s Jazz Standard, often in duo format. To celebrate this anniversary, Hersch will perform six nights (May 22-27) at Jazz Standard, featuring four duos (Miguel Zenon, Ambrose Akinmisure, Julian Lage, and Rene Marie), and a trio featuring Dave Holland and Billy Hart.

About Fred

Rene Marie©Andrea Canter

Despite his formal training in classical repertoire, Fred Hersch was already experimenting with improvisation as a youngster, and received his first training in jazz on the bandstands of his native Cincinnati. At the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Hersch studied with Jaki Byard among others, then moved to New York where he quickly became a first-call player, appearing with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Jane Ira Bloom, Art Farmer, Toots Thielemans, Gary Burton, Sam Jones, and Charlie Haden. Over his career, Hersch’s numerous recordings have included work in solo, duo, trio, and sextet formats; in tributes to Monk, Strayhorn, Evans, Jobim and other muses; and in both small and larger ensembles exploring free improvisation. His classical roots have not been overlooked—he has toured with concert pianist Christopher O'Reilly in a program entitled "Heard Fresh: Music for Two Pianos" and has combined talents with pianist Jeffrey Kahane and violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, as well as sopranos Renée Fleming and Dawn Upshaw; he also has appeared as a soloist with orchestras across the U.S. and Europe. Honors have included grants from The National Endowment for the Arts and Meet the Composer, multiple composition residencies at the prestigious MacDowell Colony, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Gay and Lesbian American Music Award (GLAMA)—four times. Teaching has always been a priority for Fred, serving on the faculty at the New England Conservatory for ten years, and teaching at The New School, Manhattan School of Music and Western Michigan University. Among his students are many who have become star performers themselves, including Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson.

Dave Holland©Andrea Canter

In 2006, Hersch became the first pianist to have a solo week at the Village Vanguard. Although well-known for his trio recordings and tours, he has also worked with a larger improvisational ensemble dubbed The Pocket Orchestra. His solo recording, Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, received wide acclaim in 2009, described by the New York Times as “one of his deepest records,” while Alone at the Vanguard (from 2009 solo sessions) was nominated for a Grammy in 2012. Fred was a nominee for the 2011 Jazz Journalists Association’s “Jazz Pianist of the Year.”

In 2008, Hersch spent two months in a coma triggered by AIDS-related complications, and much of the year unable to function independently, let alone perform. His ultimate return to touring, composing and recording has been nothing short of miraculous. In 2011, he premiered an epic, multi-media work based on his recollections of 8 specific dreams during his comatose period, a musical score with libretto by opera director Herschel Garfein (Elmer Gantry).

The Duets at Jazz Standard

Miguel Zenon©Andrea Canter

May 22, with Miguel Zenon ($25, 7:30 & 9:30 pm). Fred kicks off the “duos week” with alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon, who’s 2011 release, Alma Adentro, was nominated for a Grammy. Widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, the San Juan native has also developed a unique voice in melding Latin American folkloric music and jazz. A multi-Grammy nominee, Zenón received a Guggenheim fellowship in 2008 to work on the project that would later become his 2009 release, Esta Plena. Later that year, he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Grant, also know as the “Genius Grant.”

May 23, with Ambrose Akinmusire ($25, 7:30 & 9:30 pm). Frequently dubbed “Rising Star” trumpeter by various critics and readers polls, Ambrose Akinmusire won the Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition and the Carmine Caruso Solo Trumpet Competition, both in 2007. His Blue Note debut in 2011, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, was one of the most acclaimed jazz recordings of the year.

Julian Lage©Andrea Canter

May 24, with Julian Lage ($25, 7:30 & 9:30 pm); May 26 ($30, 11:30 pm). Dubbed a guitar prodigy as a pre-teen in his native San Francisco, Julian Lage is now a veteran performer in his mid-20s. His Grammy-nominated debut Sounding Point (2009) was followed by a more ambitious and similarly acclaimed release in 2011, Gladwell. Initially drawn to Muddy Waters and the blues as well as old-time acoustic guitar and bluegrass, Lage started on guitar at age 5, sat in with Carlos Santana at age 8, and by 11 was discovered by Gary Burton, with whom he has continued his association through Burton’s Generations and New Quartet.

Ambrose Akinmusire©Andrea Canter

May 27, with Rene Marie ($30, 7:30 & 9:30 pm). Fred Hersh has long enjoyed collaborations with inventive vocalists, from Nancy King and Kurt Elling to opera star Rene Fleming. Closing out his residency at Jazz Standard, Fred shares the stage with one of the most daring and soulful of modern jazz singers. Despite early success in R&B in her teens, Rene Marie did not really launch a career in jazz until the mid-90s. Over the past decade, she’s released a string of acclaimed projects for MaxJazz, founded her own label, and most recently joined the ever-expanding family of Motema Records. Along the way, she’s raised eyebrows with her rendition of “Strange Fruit” melded to “Dixie” and her performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” instead of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the Republican Convention in 2008. Most recently she has received wide acclaim for her 2011 CD, Voice of My Beautiful Country, her self-described “love song to America.”

Fred Hersch Trio

May 25-26, Fred Hersch Trio With Dave Holland and Billy Hart (7:30 & 9:30 pm, $30). A dream trio if there ever was one. A largely self-taught musician, Englishman Dave Holland spent his early years with such luminaries as Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Stan Getz, Thelonious Monk, Betty Carter and Sam Rivers before fronting what would become his seminal bands--Life Cycle and the Dave Holland Quintet, Octet and Big Band. His recordings have variously received Grammy nominations anst of Year awards from groups including Down Beat and the Jazz Journalists Association, while the quintet has similarly been honored with Best Small Ensemble or Acoustic Group awards from Down Beat, Bell Atlantic, and the Jazz Journalists Association, among others. One of the unsung stars of modern jazz drumming, Billy Hart has appeared on over 600 recordings, including backing Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Michael Brecker, and Joe Lovano. During the 60s he toured with Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Eddie Harris and Pharoah Sanders; was the drummer for the Herbie Hancock Sextet; performed with McCoy Tyner and Stan Getz in the mid to late 70s; with Gerry Mulligan, Billy Harper, Clark Terry, Mingus Dynasty, and particularly Quest (Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach and Ron McClure) in the 80s; with Charles Lloyd, Joe Lovano and Tom Harrell in the 90s. He formed a quartet with young stars Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson and Ben Street about ten years ago, releasing highly regarded albums including the 2012 release, All Our Reasons (ECM).

Tickets at http://jazzstandard.net. Jazz Standard is located at 116 E. 27th Street, Manhattan.

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