Fred Hersch

Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch at Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2017
Fred Hersch at Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2017
Background information
Born (1955-10-21) October 21, 1955 (age 68)
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, educator, HIV/AIDS activist
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1977–present
LabelsSunnyside, Chesky, Nonesuch, Palmetto
Websitewww.fredhersch.com

Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, composer, educator and HIV/AIDS activist, 17-time Grammy nominée. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 75 of his jazz compositions.

Early life

Hersch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jewish parents. He began playing the piano at the age of four (under the tutelage of Jeanne Kirstein) and began to compose music by eight. He won national piano competitions starting at the age of ten.

Hersch first became interested in jazz while at Grinnell College in Iowa. He dropped out of school and started playing jazz in Cincinnati. He continued his studies at the New England Conservatory under Jaki Byard, attracting attention from the press – "a fine showcase for Fred Hersch" – in a college recital. On graduation, he became a jazz piano instructor at the college.

In his 2017 autobiography, Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz, Hersch talks about seeing Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra at Gilly's, a now closed jazz club in Dayton, Ohio. Hersch recalls being in the audience when bandleader Art Pepper kicked the pianist hired for the occasion off the stand and asked if there was anyone in the audience who could sit in, an offer that Fred took up which essentially launched his career.

Career

In 1977, Hersch moved to New York. One of Fred Hersch's earliest professional engagements was with Art Farmer in Los Angeles in 1978. Jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote that he "showed his ability as an accompanist and soloist at the out-of-tune piano". He played with Farmer again in 1981. In 1982, the album A Work of Art (Art Farmer Quartet, Concord Jazz CJ-179), was released, with Hersch on piano. It included two original compositions by Hersch. Leonard Feather gave it 3½ stars.

In 1980, the Fred Hersch Trio played at B. Dalton Bookseller, one of many fringe events that were an offshoot of the Newport Jazz Festival. The following year, his trio played for singer Chris Connor, who was making a comeback after completing a recovery program for alcoholism. He played at the Kool Jazz Festival, and with Joe Henderson in the New Jazz at the Public series in the same year.

In 1983, Hersch played a duo session with bassist Ratzo Harris at the Knickerbocker Saloon, New York. The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Hersch is a romantic. He is openly involved in what he is playing and projects this involvement with body English and facial expressions that subtly underline the sense of his music. His lines often become gently billowing waves of sound, and he rises and falls, tenses and relaxes along with them."

In 1983–84, Hersch played many sessions with Jane Ira Bloom in several venues, and with whom he recorded the album, Mighty Lights. In 1985, he played with the Jamie Baum Quartet.

In 1986, he played with Toots Thielemans at the Great Woods jazz festival. He played with him in several sessions the following year, and again in 1987, receiving special attention for his solos. In 1986, he taught at Berklee College of Music.

He was the pianist for the Eddie Daniels quartet in 1987 and appeared on his album, To Bird with Love.

In 1988, Hersch played in Somerville, Massachusetts with his quintet at the Willow Jazz Club. The Boston Globe described him as "an elegant, highly melodic player."

In 1989, Hersch played with Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and they recorded together in a studio set up in his home. His first solo piano recording came in 1993: Fred Hersch at Maybeck.

In 2006, Palmetto Records released the solo CD Fred Hersch in Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis, and released his eighth solo disc, Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, in 2009.

Composing

Hersch's own compositions feature prominently in nearly all of his concerts and recordings. He has received commissions from the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Gramercy Trio and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. A disc of his through-composed works, Fred Hersch: Concert Music 2001-2006, was released by Naxos Records.

Many of Hersch's compositions have been transcribed by music publisher Edition Peters. These include Valentine, Three Character Studies, Saloon Songs, and 24 Variations on a Bach Chorale.

Hersch was awarded a 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition. In the same year, he created Leaves of Grass (Palmetto Records), a large-scale setting of Walt Whitman's poetry for two voices (Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry) and an instrumental octet; the work was presented in March 2005 at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall as part of a six-city U.S. tour.

Accompanist

Hersch has worked with instrumentalists and vocalists in the worlds of jazz (Joe Henderson, Charlie Haden, Art Farmer, Stan Getz and Bill Frisell); classical (Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Joshua Bell, Christopher O'Riley, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg); and Broadway (Audra McDonald). Hersch has accompanied jazz vocalists such as Nancy King, Norma Winstone and Kurt Elling.

Hersch has taught at The New School and Manhattan School of Music, and conducted a Professional Training Workshop for Young Musicians at The Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall in 2008.

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards nominations

Art Farmer's A Work of Art in 1983 and two of Eddie Daniels' albums with Hersch in 1986 and 1987 preceded Short Stories, a collaboration between Janis Siegel and Hersch, co-led and co-produced with arrangements by Hersch, that got a nomination for her vocal performance in 1989. In 1992 finally Dancing in the Dark, his seventh trio recording and second for Chesky Records, was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. Hersch is one of the Grammy artists with the most nominations (17) without a win.

Critical response

DownBeat magazine described Hersch as "one of the small handful of brilliant musicians of his generation." The New York Times described him as "singular among the trailblazers of their art, a largely unsung innovator of this borderless, individualistic jazz – a jazz for the 21st century."

Influence

Hersch's influence has been widely felt on a new generation of jazz pianists, from former Hersch students including Brad Mehldau, Ethan Iverson, Sullivan Fortner, Aaron Diehl and Dan Tepfer to his contemporary Jason Moran, who said: "Fred at the piano is like LeBron James on the basketball court. He's perfection."

Personal life

Illness

In 1993, Hersch came out as gay and that he had been treated for HIV since 1984. He fell into a coma in 2008 for two months. When he regained consciousness, he had lost muscular function as a result of his long inactivity and could not play the piano. After rehabilitation, he was able to play again. In 2011, he performed My Coma Dreams, a stage show written and directed by Herschel Garfein about the contrast between dreams and reality.

Charity work

Hersch has been a spokesman and fund-raiser for AIDS services and education agencies since 1993. Hersch has produced and performed on four benefit recordings and in numerous concerts for charities including Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS which had raised over $250,000 as of June 2013. In April 2016, he played a benefit concert for Buddhist Global Relief. He has also been the keynote speaker and performer at international medical conferences.

Autobiography

Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz, Published 2017

Discography

As leader/co-leader

(Artists and labels are only linked once at first appearance. Line-up can be sorted by "solo", "duo", "trio"... All trios are classic piano trios with (grand) piano, upright bass and drum kit, except for the trio Thirteen Ways with saxophonist Michael Moore.)

Recording date Title Label Year released Personnel / Notes
1984-09 As One JMT 1985 Duo with Jane Ira Bloom. live.
1984-10 Horizons Concord Jazz 1985 Trio with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron
1986-12 Sarabande Sunnyside 1987 Trio with Charlie Haden and Joey Baron
1988-05 E.T.C. Red 1990 Trio E.T.C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield
1989-12 Heartsongs Sunnyside 1990 Trio with Michael Formanek and Jeff Hirshfield
1989? The French Collection (Jazz Impressions of French Classics) EMI Angel 1989 Trio with Steve LaSpina, Joey Baron and guests: James Newton, Kevin Eubanks, Toots Thielemans, Eddie Daniels
1989? Short Stories Atlantic 1989 Quartet co-led by Janis Siegel plus Harvie Swartz (bass) and Kris Yenny (cello); Siegel was a Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Performance
1990-08 Evanessence: A Tribute to Bill Evans Evidence 1991 Trio with Michael Formanek or Marc Johnson, Jeff Hirshfield and guests: Gary Burton, Toots Thielemans
1991-03 E.T.C. Plus One Red 1993 Quartet, trio E.T.C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield plus Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone). live.
1991-07 Forward Motion Chesky 1991 with The Fred Hersch Group featuring Rich Perry (tenor sax), Erik Friedlander (cello), Scott Colley (bass) and Tom Rainey (drums)
1992-09,
1992-10
Red Square Blue: Jazz Impressions of Russian Composers EMI Angel 1993 Trio with Steve LaSpina, Jeff Hirshfield and guests: James Newton, Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, Erik Friedlander
1993? Dancing in the Dark Chesky 1993 Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group
1993-07 Concerto Pour Harmonica TCB 1994 with Toots Thielemans, Christian Gavillet, Big Band de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Roby Seidel
1993-10 Fred Hersch at Maybeck Concord Jazz 1994 Solo piano, in concert
1994-02 Plays... Chesky 1994 Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey
1994-05 Beautiful Love Sunnyside 1995 Duo with Jay Clayton (vocals)
1994-09 I Never Told You: Fred Hersch Plays Johnny Mandel Varèse Sarabande 1996 Solo piano; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group
1995-03 Point in Time Enja 1995 Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey, and quintet adding Dave Douglas (trumpet), Rich Perry (tenor saxophone) on half of the tracks
1995? Slow Hot Wind Varèse Sarabande 1995 Duo with Janis Siegel, and quartet with Tony Dumas and Ralph Penland added
1995-06 Thirteen Ways GM 1997 Trio Thirteen Ways with Michael Moore and Gerry Hemingway
1995-06,
1995-08
Passion Flower - The Music of Billy Strayhorn Nonesuch 1996 Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey plus string orchestra conducted by Eric Stern; one track is a duo with Nurit Tilles (piano); Andy Bey (vocals) added for one track
1996-01 Plays Rodgers & Hammerstein Nonesuch 1996 Solo piano
1997-02 Thelonious: Fred Hersch Plays Monk Nonesuch 1998 Solo piano
1997-07 '97 @ The Village Vanguard Palmetto 2018 Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey in concert
1997-07 The Duo Album Classical Action 1997 Duos with Gary Burton, Joe Lovano, Diana Krall, Tommy Flanagan, Andy Bey, Tom Rainey, Lee Konitz, Jim Hall, Drew Gress, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Janis Siegel
1998? Songs We Know Nonesuch 1998 Duo with Bill Frisell (guitar)
1998-10 Let Yourself Go: Live at Jordan Hall Nonesuch 1999 Solo piano, in concert
1999? Focus Palmetto 1999 Trio Thirteen Ways with Michael Moore and Gerry Hemingway
1999-10 4 in Perspective Village Life 2000 Quartet with Norma Winstone (vocals), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet) and Paul Clarvis (percussion)
2001 Songs without Words Nonesuch 2001 Solo, with few duo, trio and quintet tracks.
[3CD] Vol. 1 with originals, 2nd with standards and 3rd tributed to Cole Porter.
2002-05 Live at the Village Vanguard Palmetto 2002 Trio with Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits in concert
2002-07 Songs and Lullabies Sunnyside 2003 Duo with Norma Winstone; three tracks with Gary Burton added
2003-09 Fred Hersch Trio + 2 Palmetto 2004 Quintet with Drew Gress, Nasheet Waits plus Ralph Alessi (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Tony Malaby (tenor sax)
2003? Soothing the Senses Sensory Resources 2003 Solo piano
2004-10 Live at Jazz Standard Maxjazz 2006 Duo with Nancy King; Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album
2005? Leaves of Grass Palmetto 2005 Octet with four horns featuring vocalists Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry; lyrics by Walt Whitman
2005? In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis Palmetto 2005 Solo piano, in concert; Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition for "Valentine"
2006-12 Night & the Music Palmetto 2007 Trio with Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits
2007-06 Concert Music 2001-2006 Naxos 2007 Solo, duo and trio interpretations of compositions by Hersch with pianists Natasha Paremski, Blair McMillen, the Gramercy Trio, and Hersch himself with cellist Dorothy Lawson on one track
2008? This We Know Palmetto 2008 Duo with Michael Moore
2009? Live at Jazz Standard Sunnyside 2009 with the Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra featuring Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Richie Barshay (percussion) and Jo Lawry (vocals)
2009? Plays Jobim Sunnyside 2009 Solo piano
2010? Whirl Palmetto 2010 Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson
2010-05 Everybody's Song but My Own Venus 2011 Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson
2010-11,
2010-12
Alone at the Vanguard Palmetto 2011 Solo piano; Grammy Award nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Work"; DownBeat named it one of the Best CDs of 2012
2012? Da Vinci Bee Jazz 2012 Duo with Nico Gori
2012 Alive at the Vanguard Palmetto 2012 Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson. [2CD]
2012? Two Hands/Ten Voices Broadway Cares 2012 Duos with Karrin Allyson, Judy Blazer, Ann Hampton Callaway, Kate McGarry, Jessica Molaskey, Jane Monheit, Janis Siegel, Carol Sloane, Luciana Souza, Norma Winstone
2012-05 Fun House Songlines 2013 with Benoît Delbecq and Fred Hersch Double Trio
2011-06,
2012-05
Only Many CAM Jazz 2013 Duo with Ralph Alessi
2013-02 Free Flying Palmetto 2013 Duo with Julian Lage (guitar), in concert; Grammy Award nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Song Without Words #4: Duet"
2014? Floating Palmetto 2014 Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Two Grammy Award nominees for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "You and the Night and the Music"
2014-08 Solo Palmetto 2015 Solo piano, in concert "Windham Chamber Music Festivals 2014"
2016-03 Sunday Night at the Vanguard Palmetto 2016 Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See"
2016-03 Open Book Palmetto 2017 Solo piano
2016-06 Live in Healdsburg Anzic 2018 Duo with Anat Cohen, in concert "Healdsburg Jazz Festival"
2017-11 Live in Europe Palmetto 2018 Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" (again)
2018-10 Alive at the Village Vanguard Palmetto 2023 Duo with Esperanza Spalding
2019? Begin Again Palmetto 2019 with WDR Big Band, arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza
2020-08 Songs from Home Palmetto 2020 Solo piano
2021-08 Breath By Breath Palmetto 2022 with Crosby Street String Quartet, Drew Gress and Jochen Rückert
2021-11 The Song Is You ECM 2022 Duo with Enrico Rava

As sideman/featured soloist

Date Artist Album title Label Notes
1979 Art Farmer Yama CTI with Joe Henderson
1979 Billy Harper Billy Harper Quintet in Europe Soul Note
1979 Billy Harper The Awakening Marge
1979 Sam Jones Something New Interplay
1981 Art Farmer A Work of Art Concord Jazz Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
1982 Jane Ira Bloom Mighty Lights Enja with Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell
1982 Art Farmer Mirage Soul Note
1983 Art Farmer Warm Valley Concord Jazz
1985 Art Farmer You Make Me Smile Soul Note
1986 Eddie Daniels Breakthrough GRP with The London Philharmonia; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
1987 Jane Ira Bloom Modern Drama Columbia
1987 Tony Dagradi Sweet Remembrance Gramavision
1987 Eddie Daniels To Bird with Love GRP Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
1987 Toots Thielemans Ne Me Quitte Pas - Do Not Leave Me Milan/Stash with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron
1987 Roseanna Vitro A Quiet Place Skyline
1987 Jimmy McGary Palindrome Mopro with Michael Moore and Joey Baron
1988 Meredith D'Ambrosio The Cove Sunnyside
1988 Jane Ira Bloom Slalom Columbia
1988 Toots Thielemans Only Trust Your Heart Concord Jazz
1988 Lee Konitz Round & Round Musicmasters
1988 Jon Metzger Into The Light V.S.O.P. Records
1989 Michael Bocian Go Groove GM Recordings
1990 Johnny Mathis In a Sentimental Mood: Mathis Sings Ellington Columbia Grammy Nominee for Best Traditional Pop Performance
1990 Judy Niemack Long As You're Living Freelance Records
1991 Jeri Brown Mirage Justin Time
1992 Matt Kendrick Other Aspects Suitcase
1992 Michael Moore quintet Home Game Ramboy
1992 Harumi Kaneko Try To Remember Philips
1992 Jack Jones The Gershwin Album Columbia/Legacy
1992 Various artists (Ana Caram, Paquito D'Rivera, Tom Harrell, and Phil Woods) JVC Jazz Festival Presents a Night of Chesky Jazz Live Chesky
1993 Jeanfrançois Prins & Judy Niemack Beauty and the Prince AMC (new release 2003 GAM)
1993 Roseanna Vitro Softly Concord Jazz
1993 The Matt Kendrick Unit Composite Ichiban Records
1993 Garrison Fewell A Blue Deeper Than The Blue Accurate Records
1994 Leny Andrade Maiden Voyage Chesky
1994 Various artists The AIDS Quilt Songbook Nightengale/Harmonia Mundi featured with an original composition accompanying baritone William Sharp
1994 Various artists Memento Bittersweet Catalyst featured on "Tango Bittersweet"
1994 Michael Moore Chicotoumi Ramboy
1994 Byron Olson Sketches of Coltrane Angel Records featured on tracks 6-11
1994 Various artists Last Night When We Were Young: The Ballad Album Classical Action featured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13
1995 Royce Campbell With Strings Waltz for Debby Paddle Wheel
1995 Paul Sundfor Nascency Nine Winds Records
1995 Chris Connor Lover Come Back to Me: Live at Sweet Basil Evidence
1995 Dick Sisto American Love Song Jazzen Records
1996 Jane Ira Bloom The Nearness Arabesque
1996 Michael Callen Legacy Significant Other featured on three tracks
1996 Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers and Hart Nonesuch
1996 The Rich Perry Quartet What is This? SteepleChase
1996 Bonnie Lowdermilk This Heart Of Mine AxolOtl Jazz with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey
1996 Michael Callen Legacy Significant Other Records featured on three tracks
1997 Dominique Eade When The Wind Was Cool RCA Victor featured on tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11
1997 Gary Burton Departure Concord Jazz with John Scofield, John Patitucci and Peter Erskine
1997 Various artists George Delerue: Music from the Films of François Truffaut Nonesuch featured on two tracks
1997 Various artists September Songs: The Music Of Kurt Weill featured on "Speak Low"
1998 Michael Moore Trio Bering Ramboy
1998 Kelley Johnson Make Someone Happy Pipe DreamChartmaker featured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13
1998 Steve LaSpina Distant Dream Stepplechase
1999 Jane Ira Bloom The Red Quartets Arabesque
1999 Barbara Sfraga Oh, What A Thrill Naxos Jazz featured on tracks 3, 8, 12
1999 Dawn Upshaw Sings Vernon Duke Nonesuch featured on four tracks
1999 Roseanna Vitro The Time of My Life: Roseanna Vitro Sings the Songs of Steve Allen See Breeze recorded 1986
1999 Janis Siegel The Tender Trap Monarch Records
2000 Mary Pearson You And I Arkadia Jazz
2001 Roseanna Vitro Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans A-Records featured on tracks 2, 3, 8
2001 Various artists The Richard Rodgers Centennial Jazz Piano Album Broadway Cares featured on tracks 5, 6
2003 Jane Ira Bloom Chasing Paint Arabesque
2003 Harvey Mason Trios: With All My Heart VideoArts featured on one track
2003 Luciana Souza Norte e Sul - North and South Biscoito Fino/Sunnyside featured on tracks 4, 5; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album
2003 Andrew Sterman Blue Canvas with Spiral Breath River Music
2005 Renée Fleming Haunted Heart Decca with Bill Frisell
2005 Kate McGarry Mercy Streets Palmetto featured on tracks 6, 9
2006 Audra McDonald Build A Bridge Nonesuch featured on track 6
2013 3 Cohens Tightrope Anzic with Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen and Yuval Cohen
2014 Jill Sobule Charms Pink Records featured on "Lonely Eighty-Eight"
2014 Amy London Bridges FiveCut Recordings featured on tracks 1-8
2014 Scott Morgan Songs Of life Miranda Music
2018 Lorraine Feather Math Camp Relarion Inc. featured on tracks 2, 3, 5, 9
2019 Adrian Cunningham Adrian Cunningham & His Friends Play Lerner & Loewe Arbors Records
2020 Brian Landrus For Now BlueLand Records
2020 Will Vinson Four Forty One Whirlwind Recordings featured on "Work"

See also


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