“It’s intimate in here; I like it like that.”
So commented pianist Fred Hersch as he scanned the cozy confines of The Edye Second Space before giving the audience 90 minutes worth of delectable piano sounds. Opening up with a pair of Jobim tunes, Hersch immediately displayed the traits that have made him one of the most influential living pianists. Hints of Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson, two of his students slide in and out as mixes gentle passion and reflective tension on “Luiza” and “ O Grande Amore.” Hints of homespun charm and playfulness abounded on “West Virgina Rose” while a piece dedicated to dancer Susan O’Farrell twirled melodies that took you to various rooms of the parlor with thematic chords and thoughtful single note runs that were like gentle saves rolling in.
But it’s not just the technical prowess that makes Hersch’s evening at the piano so alluring. As one who survived an AIDS-induced dementia and coma, and had the wherewithal to compose a musical about it, he is able to delve deeply into the deepest parts of his own soul as he interprets a song, and hear and perform things that we who have not been below a certain surface of self examination are able. Therefore, he can take a standard like “Caravan,” and not only give it a dash of rhumba with some pluck and plunks, but have his hands start at the center of the piano and then gradually drift apart to separate ends of the keys as if like ripples from a rock thrown into the center. Contrariwise, on the dainty Tin Pan Alley stride of “After You’ve Gone,” both of his hands ruminated and chewed together on the lower register and then suddenly blasted apart as if by some magnetic change. He captured the spirit of the lyrics to “Both Sides Now,” playing each note like an agonizing confession; it wasn’t the illusion of it that he recalled, he really knew the song at all.
His return to Brazil had “Dode de Coco” flickering like a candle toying with a breeze, while “We See” had the Thelonious Monk them bop and jump on rabbit trails. His closing “Valentine” had his hands glow over the ivories as if the warmth of his hands alone were enough to create the yearning and heartfelt theme. His sensitive touch on the piano and his approach to life was apparent, reminding that’s it’s always wise to seek advice from one who has tempered, yet enough to share the healing.
Upcoming shows sponsored by The Jazz Bakery include Joshua Redman May 9 and Vijay Iyer May 11. Check out The Broad Stage for their upcoming jazz season.