Inspired by his own battle and recovery from being HIV positive, pianist/composer Fred Hersch teams up with Herschel Garfein to create a musically intriguing and theatrically satisfying “jazz theatre” based on a mixture of music and spoken word. Fred Hersch’s trio with John Hebert/b and John Hollenbeck/dr teams up with the ensemble of Ralph Alessi/tp-fh, Mike Christianson/tb, Bruce Williamson-Adam Kolker/reeds and the string section of Joyce Hammann, Laura seaton, Ron Lawrence and Dave Eggar to mix and match straightahead jazz with thoughtful modern musical passages interspersed with spoken passages by Michael Winther. The almost 90 minute show veers in and out of the “patient” ruminating about the disease, treatment and recovery from HIV, with the music serving as his weaving like a tapestry through the insightful observations about life, death and medicine in general. Satisfying both musically and theatrically, Hersch shows once again a way of being creative and provocative.
Extra features include interviews with Hersch and director/writer Herschel Garfein, actor Michael Winther, a speech by Hersch and even an insightful interview by Dr. Rita Charon from Columbia University. Every base is covered here. Intriguing and stimulating.
Here is the sales link. The money goes directly to treatment:
http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/mcd