Fred Hersch©Andrea Canter

Since his first appearances as leader and soloist nearly twenty-five years ago, jazz piano master Fred Hersch has earned 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); "a brilliant technician, a thoughtful, elegant improviser and an artist with a curious ear” (Fernando Gonzalez, The Miami Herald); “...one of the leading lights of this generation's pianists” (Fred Bouchard, Jazz Times); “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). Despite health crises in 2008 that threatened his life as well as career, Fred Hersch released two acclaimed recordings in 2009 and garnered praise for residencies at Jazz Standard in April and at the Village Vanguard in July. Now he returns to the Vanguard to kickoff another year of performing, in the stellar company of Drew Gress and Paul Motian, January 12-17. 

Fred Hersch began playing piano as a four-year-old in Cincinnati.  His lifelong interest in popular song dates back to his family’s collections of Broadway original cast albums and his grandmother's sheet music. Despite his formal training in classical repertoire, at an early age he was already experimenting with improvisation and received his first training in jazz on the bandstands of 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. As a sideman, he appeared with saxophonists Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and Jane Ira Bloom; flugelhornist Art Farmer; harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans; vibraphonist Gary Burton; and bassists Sam Jones and Charlie Haden.  

Paul Motian©T. Bruce Wittett

Among his many works, perhaps his most acclaimed has been the 2005 Leaves of Grass project, a large-scale suite setting Walt Whitman's poetry to music for two voices (Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry) and instrumental octet; the resulting Palmetto recording appeared on numerous “best of the year” lists. In 2006, he became the first pianist to have a solo week at the Village Vanguard. Although well-known for his trio recordings and tours, he has most recently been working with a larger improvisational ensemble dubbed The Pocket Orchestra. He also released his seventh solo recording (Fred Hersch Plays Jobim) to wide acclaim in summer 2009, described by the New York Times as “one of his deepest records.”  

Drew Gress©Andrea Canter

As he has recounted on his website, Hersch spent eight weeks of 2008 in a comatose or semi-comatose state, suffered from AIDS dementia for seven weeks, lost his voice for a period and was hospitalized with pneumonia and a gall bladder infection. Regaining his strength, he was determined to prove he was again able to perform, and made believers of everyone with an April 2009 residency at Jazz Standard featuring his new Pocket Orchestra. Fred’s life, music and struggle with AIDS have been documented in the 2008 film, Let Yourself Go: The Lives of Fred Hersch. 

In an interview with Ted Panken (jazz.com), Hersch noted that “I feel the worst of it is behind me, and I'm in better health now than I've been in many years—according to my blood numbers, my weight is stable. I have projects to look forward to. Things are really good right now.”  Indeed, Hersch now returns to the Village Vanguard in the amazing company of bassist Drew Gress and living legend drummer Paul Motian. 

The Village Vanguard is located at 178 Seventh Avenue (Greenwich Village) in Manhattan; www.villagevanguard.com. Sets at 9 and 11 pm nightly with a late 12:30 am set most Saturday nights.

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