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Fred Hersch

Proclaimed by Vanity Fair magazine, “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade or so,” Fred Hersch balances his internationally recognized instrumental skills with significant achievements as a composer, bandleader, and theatrical conceptualist, as well as remaining an in-demand collaborator with other noted bandleaders and vocalists. As a solo pianist (he was the first artist in the 75-year history of New York's legendary Village Vanguard to play week-long engagements as a solo pianist - his second featured run is documented on the 2011 release, Alone at the Vanguard); as leader of a widely praised trio whose Whirl found its way onto numerous 2010 best-recordings-of-the-year lists; and as the impetus behind the ambitious 2011 production, “My Coma Dreams,” a full-evening work for 11 instruments, actor/singer and animation/multimedia - Hersch has fully lived up to the approbation of the New York Times who, in a featured Sunday Magazine article, praised him as “singular among the trailblazers of their art, a largely unsung innovator of this borderless, individualistic jazz – a jazz for the 21st century.” He was nominated for two 2011 Grammy Awards for Alone at the Vanguard - for Best Jazz Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo; these are his fourth and fifth nominations. His newest trio album is a 2-CD set Alive at the Vanguard and it has been garnering wide critical acclaim as one of his best releases in his many-year recording career. It has been awarded the 2012 Grand Prix du Disque by l'Académie Charles Cros in France.

In addition to his more than three-dozen recordings as a leader/co-leader, his numerous awards include a 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition, and a Grammy® nomination for Best Instrumental Composition, as well as two Grammy® nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. Hersch has featured himself as either a solo performer or at the helm of varied small ensembles, which in addition to his trio, include a quintet, as well as his "Pocket Orchestra" featuring an unconventional line-up of piano, trumpet, voice and percussion. Hersch is considered to be the most prolific and celebrated solo jazz pianist of his generation. In 2006, Palmetto released the solo CD Fred Hersch in Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis and 2009 welcomed his eighth solo disc, Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, cited as one of the year's Top Ten jazz releases by NPR and the Wall Street Journal. Alone won the "Coup de Coeur" de l'Académie Charles Cros in France and 2011 also saw Hersch place 4th in the Downbeat Critic's Poll and win as Jazz Pianist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

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Live Review

Mantova Jazz Festival 2024

Read "Mantova Jazz Festival 2024" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Teatro Ariston, Auditorium Monteverdi Mantova Jazz 2024 Mantova 11 ottobre--16 novembre 2024 Il Mantova Jazz Festival conferma la sua rilevanza tra le rassegne autunnali italiane continuando a selezionare proposte d'alto profilo nel panorama nazionale e internazionale. Il festival prende il nome da Roberto Chiozzini, storico fondatore negli anni cinquanta del Circolo Jazzistico Mantovano, ed è quest'anno dedicato a Enzo Galetti, l'inseparabile partner che ha concorso a formare la cultura jazzistica cittadina. Una tradizione che ...

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Live Review

Fred Hersch at the Barcelona Jazz Festival

Read "Fred Hersch at the Barcelona Jazz Festival" reviewed by Artur Moral


Fred HerschConservatori del Liceu56 Festival de Jazz de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain October 29, 2024 The 56th Barcelona Jazz Festival boasted one of the most complete and balanced line-ups in recent years. Fred Hersch's solo piano concert was, without a doubt, one of its greatest nights, a performance characterized by tributes, admiration for the Brazilian world and a deep commitment to beauty. There is no better way to enjoy the mastery of the truly ...

Live Review

I poeti del piano solo: Fred Hersch e Gregory Privat

Read "I poeti del piano solo: Fred Hersch e Gregory Privat" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Fred Hersch, Gregory Privat Sala Vanni I Poeti del Piano Solo Firenze 10-11.5.2024 Quinta edizione della rassegna fiorentina “I Poeti del Piano Solo," che ogni anno, grazie alla direzione artistica di Stefano Maurizi, porta sui palcoscenici cittadini una selezione dei più interessanti pianisti jazz della scena internazionale. Quest'anno i concerti erano quattro, con il primo --quello di Omer Klein --nella suggestiva sede del Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, l'ultimo --quello di Stefania Tallini --nella meravigliosa ...

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Album Review

Fred Hersch: Silent, Listening

Read "Silent, Listening" reviewed by Chris May


It took Fred Hersch a long time to begin recording for ECM--four decades and 17 Grammy nominations since his first own-name album--but when he arrived he did so in style. The Song Is You (ECM, 2022), a duo recording with flugelhornist Enrico Rava, reviewed here, was quietly sensational. The word “recalibration" is often wheeled out when a musician does no more than tweak the chord progression of a well-known tune. However, on The Song Is You Hersch and Rava gently ...

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Radio & Podcasts

New Releases From Fred Hersch, Potions, Kendall Carter, And More

Read "New Releases From Fred Hersch, Potions, Kendall Carter, And More" reviewed by Bob Osborne


On this show we feature new releases from Potions, Kendall Carter, Fred Hersch, Bag of Bones, Matthew McDonald, Melody Graves and the Hokum Redemption, Jérémie Ternoy Ivann Cruz and Peter Orins, Woo, Art Tatum, Yusef Lateef, Sun Ra, Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, Chet Baker & Jack Sheldon, and Kari van der Kloot. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Potions “Solivagant" from Vol.1 (Robalo Music) 01:26 Kendall Carter “Happiness Is Now" from Purview (Lladnek Music) 12:28 Fred Hersch “The Wind" ...

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Album Review

Fred Hersch: Silent, Listening

Read "Silent, Listening" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Like many of Fred Hersch's haunted, focused recordings--2017's Grammy nominated Open Book(Palmetto Records), Solo (Palmetto Records, 2015) or In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis (Palmetto Records, 2006)--the short story of Silent, Listening, Hirsch's first solo foray for ECM, is this: Stay for the rich, orchestral novel and the full reward is yours. On his thirteenth solo foray, Hersch tells the whole story which comprises the lyrical abstracts and open questions the pianist poses on the melodically quixotic “Aeon." ...

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Album Review

Claudia Acuna: Duo

Read "Duo" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Alcuni classici della canzone popolare latina costituiscono il nucleo del sesto disco da leader di Claudia Acuña. In questa celebrazione la cantante cilena ha coinvolto sette protagonisti del jazz contemporaneo in altrettante esecuzioni in duo caratterizzate da palpitante relazione con la loro identità tradizionale. I due brani conclusivi sono cantati in inglese e la vedono piena protagonista: “Cristal Silence" di Chick Corea è cantato a cappella; “YO" è una sua composizione originale eseguita con un sottofondo percussivo. ...

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Performance / Tour

Announcing August 2024 Concert Schedule Including The Fred Hersch Trio, Johnathan Blake Quintet, And More At World-renowned Smoke Jazz Club

Announcing August 2024 Concert Schedule Including The Fred Hersch Trio, Johnathan Blake Quintet, And More At World-renowned Smoke Jazz Club

Source: AMT Public Relations

Entering its second quarter century as committed as ever to pure jazz (All About Jazz),” SMOKE Jazz Club continues its 25th anniversary season with another month of today’s leading artists in jazz. For the first time in the club’s history, the multi-GRAMMY-nominated pianist Fred Hersch performs on the SMOKE Stage. He is joined by his trio (Alexander Claffy and Jochen Rueckert) which The Wall Street Journal calls “one of the major ensembles of our time.” Johnathan Blake returns for five ...

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Performance / Tour

Iconic Pianist/Composer Fred Hersch And Visionary Jazz Vocalist Esperanza Spalding Celebrate New Album At New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Iconic Pianist/Composer Fred Hersch And Visionary Jazz Vocalist Esperanza Spalding Celebrate New Album At New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Source: AMT Public Relations

Pianist/composer Fred Hersch and vocalist/bassist/songwriter Esperanza Spalding can both be counted among the most acclaimed and inventive artists in modern jazz. The Village Vanguard is the music’s most reveredvenue, having played host to countless legendary musicians and beloved live recordings. The duo and the club converge for a magical performance on Alive at the Village Vanguard, a rare opportunity for listeners to enjoy the singular and thrilling collaboration between two marquee jazz artists at the top of their game. Due ...

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Education

Open Studio Presents 15-Time Grammy Nominee Fred Hersch In His First Ever Online Course

Open Studio Presents 15-Time Grammy Nominee Fred Hersch In His First Ever Online Course

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

With inspiring artists, deep content, passionate students and a soulful approach, Open Studio is more than a jazz education platform—it’s a global family of music lovers, joining together to celebrate jazz as a vibrant and collaborative art form. Beginning on June 11, 2021, iconic pianist Fred Hersch, a fifteen-time Grammy nominee, will present “Thoughts and Experiments with Solo Piano"—his first ever online course. Featuring 18 lessons over 6 hours, the course also includes an exclusive 45-minute interview with Hersch as ...

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Performance / Tour

New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies And Contemporary Improvisation Departments Present Performances And Events For 150th Season

New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies And Contemporary Improvisation Departments Present Performances And Events For 150th Season

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

New England Conservatory’s (NEC) internationally renowned Jazz Studies and Contemporary Improvisation (CI) Departments announce nearly 100 concerts for the celebratory 150th anniversary season. The 2017-2018 season continues to build on NEC’s rich legacy featuring 150 years of innovation showcasing the work of the first fully accredited jazz studies program at a music conservatory as well as the pioneering CI department. The new season showcases diverse musical offerings from today’s most talented artists performed in NEC’s renowned concert halls, including three ...

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Event

New England Conservatory Presents Acclaimed Pianist Fred Hersch In Solo Performance

New England Conservatory Presents  Acclaimed Pianist Fred Hersch In Solo Performance

Source: Ann Braithwaite

Hersch is celebrating his new Palmetto recording Fred Hersch: Solo as well as his 60th birthday and 40th anniversary of his arrival as an NEC student “5-stars. When it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz there are currently two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else." –Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz “His sublime lyricism, exquisite touch, sensitive dynamic control, and lush harmonizations are unequaled in a solo setting.” –Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader New England Conservatory presents ...

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Education

New England Conservatory Faculty Profile: Fred Hersch

New England Conservatory Faculty Profile: Fred Hersch

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Fred Hersch has much to look forward to in his immediate future, including the premiere of a new extended composition and a variety of performances in the diverse solo and small-ensemble settings that have made him one of the major contemporary voices in jazz piano. Yet 2015 looms large in his mind for another reason. “It will be my 40th anniversary of association with NEC,” he notes with pride. “I arrived in 1975, graduated in 1977, and took over teaching ...

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Event

Renowned Composer/Pianist And NEC Faculty Member Fred Hersch Presents Master Class On Tuesday, October 7 At New England Conservatory

Renowned Composer/Pianist And NEC Faculty Member Fred Hersch Presents Master Class On Tuesday, October 7 At New England Conservatory

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

“The most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade or so.” —-Vanity Fair Magazine Jazz pianist, composer and NEC faculty member Fred Hersch presents a masterclass for NEC students on Tuesday, October 7 at 3 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place in New England Conservatory’s Pierce Hall, 241 St. Botolph Street, Boston, MA. For more information, log on to: necmusic.edu/jazz or call 617-585-1122. Proclaimed by Vanity Fair Magazine as “the most ...

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Performance / Tour

Fred Hersch with NEC Student Ensemble Perform "Leaves of Grass" at the New England Conservatory on April 26th

Fred Hersch with NEC Student Ensemble Perform "Leaves of Grass" at the  New England Conservatory on April 26th

Source: Michael Ricci

Thursday, April 26th, 2012, 8:00 PM Leaves of Grass New England Conservatory 290 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA Admission: Free By Timothy J. O'Keefe As if a capstone ending to the preceding winter season, this spring, pianist Fred Hersch performs music from his Leaves of Grass (Palmetto Records, 2005) recordings at the New England Conservatory (NEC). On these recordings, Hersch creates music drawing inspiration from Walt Whitman's collection of poems entitled ...

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Recording

Fred Hersch, Improvising Pianist, Alone at the Vanguard

Fred Hersch, Improvising Pianist, Alone at the Vanguard

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards

Fred Hersch plays one hell of a piano. He was very ill several years ago, in a near-death coma- state, but most thankfully he's recovered and back at it. The live solo disk Alone at the Vanguard (Palmetto 2147) shows a certain even deeper level of profundity than the usual, which I have to believe comes out of the wisdom and introspection going through such an ordeal can bring to the creative person. It's a full disk of Fred playing ...

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Recording

Fred Hersch Debuts "My Coma Dreams" Three Years After Falling Gravely Ill

Fred Hersch Debuts "My Coma Dreams" Three Years After Falling Gravely Ill

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner

By now, everyone with a passing interesting in current-day jazz is familiar with the story of Fred Hersch, the HIV-positive pianist who was so ill with pneumonia in 2008 that he was put into a medically induced coma for two months. Around the time of the release of his 2010 trio album 'Whirl,' we checked in with Hersch to see how things were progressing and found an artist who literally had a new lease on life, ...

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Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Silent, Listening

ECM Records
2024

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Silent, Listening

ECM Records
2024

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Silent, Listening

ECM Records
2024

buy

Alive at the Village...

Palmetto Records
2023

buy

Breath By Breath

Palmetto Records
2022

buy

Sounds Of Love

Sunnyside Records
2022

buy

Little Song

From: Silent, Listening
By Fred Hersch

But Not for Me

From: Alive at the Village Vanguard
By Fred Hersch

The Miss

From: For Now
By Fred Hersch

Whirl

From: Fred Hersch Solo
By Fred Hersch

West Virginia Rose / Home Fries

From: Floating
By Fred Hersch

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