(Fred Hersch, piano; Drew Gress, bass; Masheet Waits, drums)
Just released, this is Hersch’s first studio-recorded trio album in over a decade. In his fifth album for Palmetto in five years, Fred Hersch has decided to do something different from his last album “In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis,” which was solo piano. Following that he became the first pianist in the 70-year history of NYC’s Village Vanguard to do a whole week of solo performances.
For this CD he selected ten tunes similar to what he might play at the Village Vanguard. There are three originals, two Monk tunes and two by Irving Berlin. (Last year Hersch garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition.) Seven of the tracks are first takes, showing Hersch’s masterful keyboard skills as well as the sympathetic communication he has with his familiar trio band mates. Some of his originals blur the lines between chamber music and jazz, similar to the piano trio sound of many of discs from the ECM label, but there is also a warmer, more Bill Evans-sort of feeling to Hersch’s trio.
TrackList: So In Love, Rhythm Spirit, Heartland, Galaxy Fragment/ You and the Night and the Music, Boo Boo’s Birthday, Change Partners, How Deep is the Ocean, Gravity’s Pull, Andrew John, Misterioso.
– John Henry
